Coastal hazards plan consultation extended

Residents now have until March 8 to have their say on the draft Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan (CHAP) - a two-week extension. 

Council has extended the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan consultation to March 8 in order to give the community as long as possible to provide feedback before the draft plan must be submitted to the state.

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart said Council was giving the community as long as it could to comment on the CHAP in the face of a looming deadline to submit it to the state.

“Unfortunately Council was given a March deadline to have the draft plan to the state. That deadline was set by the panel overseeing the state’s QCoast2100 program, which provided the funding.

"Extending the community consultation to March 8 is as late as Council can go to ensure staff have sufficient time to review all of the submissions and potentially make amendments to the draft plan.”

The Mayor said Noosa Council was developing a Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan in the state’s QCoast2100 program as a result of a 2016 Council decision.

“The information we have provided to our community in regard to mapping etc is far more detailed and transparent than most other councils,” she said.

“This is to ensure residents can see what has shaped the draft CHAP and provide informed feedback.”

Noosa is one of 32 Queensland councils developing coastal hazards adaptation plans with the funding from the state.

Project officer, Grant Hinner, said the CHAP would guide Council’s response to coastal erosion risks in Teewah, Noosa Heads, and along the eastern beaches, as well as coastal inundation risks in areas beside Noosa River.

“It will not specify how individual properties can and can’t be developed. Only the town planning scheme can make those changes and if the Council wants to amend its planning scheme, it needs to go through a separate consultation process,” he said.

“What the CHAP will do is to help Council make sound decisions about future spending, infrastructure planning, design and land use – particularly public land which the entire community has an interest in,” he said.

At least nine other coastal councils, including the Sunshine Coast Council and City of Gold Coast, have already reached or completed the consultation stage of their CHAP process.

Noosa appeared to be the only Queensland council so far to extend the CHAP consultation beyond the minimum requirement of 28 days, the Mayor said.

To have a say, visit Council's YourSay Noosa website or direct any enquiries to climatechange@noosa.qld.gov.au