By Jolene Ogle
A petition war is in full swing, with community groups outraged at a tour operator’s plans to build a 70-metre jetty at Elanda Point.
Discovery Group managing director Wade Batty said the group was currently negotiating with the State Government to finalise approvals to redevelop the Elanda Point camping ground on the shores of the Noosa River into an eco-centre.
Part of the development involves the construction of a jetty and Mr Batty has launched an online petition to gain support for the construction of the 70-metre structure that will be sent to the Minister for Environment and National Parks Dr Steven Miles.
In a document presented at a community consultation last weekend, Mr Batty states the development of the eco-centre has received the support of Tourism Noosa, Noosa Council and Member for Noosa Glen Elmes, but the document has no letters of support for the jetty.
Mr Elmes said he supported the possible benefits of removing 1500 vessel movements from the lower reaches of Noosa River, but wouldn’t say whether he supported the construction of the jetty.
The Change.org petition prepared by Mr Batty said the jetty would provide “safe, equitable and disabled access” to tour boats as well as allow the company to relocate its tour operations from Noosaville to Elanda Point to “improve services and better manage current and future impacts from the campground.”
The Discovery Group currently have over 1500 high-speed vessel movements each year from Noosaville to the Noosa Everglades.
“We seek to implement a long-term sustainable approach to our operation and address impacts from these activities on property owners, other river users, foreshore areas and the marine environment,” Mr Batty said. “Relocating tour operations to Elanda Point will achieve all of these outcomes.”
To begin construction of the jetty, the group needs the approval of the State Government and the downgrading of the area as a Fish Habitat Area A to a B.
Currently 6074 hectares of the Noosa River, Weyba Creek and associated lake systems, adjacent to Tewantin and Noosa are Fish Habitat Areas (FHA), including 5974 hectares that are classified as Management A.
According to the Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing, declared FHAs are assigned with a management level, either ‘A’ for very strict management or ‘B’ where existing or planned use requires a more flexible management approach.
Noosa Council provided a letter of support to Mr Batty for the redevelopment of the Elanda Point site but said they wouldn’t comment on the downgrading of the FHA management classification until staff assessed the application.
“Council staff are assessing the Discovery Group’s proposal to the State Government to reclassify approximately 2.5ha of the Fish Habitat Area at Elanda Point … once they’ve finished that assessment, staff will prepare a report for council’s consideration during the April round of meetings,” the spokesperson said.
A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson confirmed no changes had been made to the management level of Elanda Point at the time of going to press.
In an email to members, Noosa Integrated Catchment Association (NICA) president Tony Haslam said while a new jetty further up the river would reduce the impact of waves on the Gympie Terrace foreshore, the reasons for declaring a Fish
Habitat A hadn’t gone away.
“To downgrade it to allow a commercial development seems to me to be contrary to the justification to apply a Fish Habitat A status in the first place,” he said.
In response to the development of the jetty, Mr Haslam has launched a petition that will also be presented to Dr Steven Miles to stop the downgrading of the Fish Habitat.
The Change.org petition said the 2.6 hectare “pristine area” should not be downgraded when there have been “proposals to upgrade the area to world heritage”.
The petition calls for Dr Miles to maintain the declared FHA as an A-level management to keep the Noosa Everglades “pristine, safe and sustainable”. So far, both petitions have received similar numbers of signatures.
Long-time local and fourth generation fisherman Trevor Clarey says he is outraged at the suggestion of building a jetty at Elanda Point.
“It’s clear to this local lad that the proposed fishing downgrade is only part of the angst felt by many local residents against this considerable expansion of our paradise,” he said.
In a statement to the media, Mr Clarey said many of Noosa’s commercial fishing operators and their families “do not support any downgrading of our fish habitat areas and fully support the hardline stance of no interference of fish habitat areas by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries”.
