Council moves to protect precious dunes

Noosa Council has moved to protect the fragile foreshore dunes at Sunshine Beach, threatened by a handful of locals who've built their own beach accesses through the dunes.

After complaints to the council, an investigation of the area was conducted and now letters have been sent to 11 property owners about the unauthorised structures they have constructed on public land.

Mayor Noel Playford said the Council wants to deal with the issue sensibly and have a conversation with each property owner about what may or may not need to be done, but in the end he said "there has to be a process in place for the sake of this fragile environment."

He said "in some cases excavation and building of stairs has occurred on very steep slopes which could result in serious erosion during heavy rainfall. Erosion of sand dune areas has cost ratepayers dearly in the past".

Mr Playford said that apart from environmental concerns, there are public liability issues to deal with, as the structures have been built on crown land that's being administered by the Council. Failing to take action would leave Council liable in negligence in the event of injury.

The Mayor said each case will be looked at individually, with the Council working with property owners to try to balance the issues of beach access, environmental sensitivity, and public safety. 

The former Noosa Council and, more recently, the Sunshine Coast Council, have dealt with similar cases of property owners building unauthorised structures to access the beach.

Mr Playford said "There's nothing new about the temptation to build your own path through the dunes, but this is environmentally sensitive, public land, and it's the Council's role to protect it for future generations."

Ultimately, the Council has warned that it can send out infringement notices and prosecute offenders, but the Mayor said he hopes that the issue can be resolved amicably without the need for further Council action.

1 August 2014