Half million towards Noosa's future coastal solutions
Council has received almost $500,000 in a grant from the Queensland Government with the support of the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ). The money will be directed towards helping Noosa manage the impacts of climate change.
Mayor Tony Wellington welcomed the QCoast 2100 grant, saying it would help Council tackle the effects of rising sea levels and changing weather patterns.
“In years to come, coastal communities will likely face the threat of sea-level rise, increasing coastline erosion and more frequent flooding in low-lying areas,” Cr Wellington said.
“Weather patterns also appear to be changing. There is the very real likelihood of more intensive weather events plus the prospect of king tides and storm surges impacting further inland.
“Although these are long-term implications, it’s important that we start to consider the issues now so that we can be properly prepared,” the Mayor said.
With the funding, Council will generate a Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy. This will map out areas most at risk and consider various solutions. The whole project will take two years to complete, involving additional staff and expert consultants.
“Noosa is one of the first councils to apply for, and receive, QCoast 2100 funding,” the Mayor said. “Our Strategic Planning staff produced a fabulously detailed grant application. At the recent LGAQ conference, the grant assessors were generous in their praise of our application. That’s a credit to staffer Rebecca Britton in particular.”
The QCoast 2100 is a $12 million State Government fund to help coastal councils safeguard their communities from the impacts of climate change hazards.
“We will be developing sophisticated mapping tools as well as 3D visual fly-throughs to help communicate and evaluate different scenarios. The work will also help inform the new planning scheme.”
“There will be opportunities for community consultation and input as this project rolls out,” the Mayor said.
1 November 2016