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NOOSAVILLE FORESHORE INFRASTRUCTURE MASTERPLAN (Referred from Services and Organisation Committee Meeting dated 10 June 2025 - Item 7.2)

Director Infrastructure Services, Shaun Walsh · Infrastructure Services Department

Executive summary

This report seeks Council approval of the attached Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Masterplan (the Plan). The Plan sets out a clear vision for the next 20 years, addressing significant foreshore challenges such as aging infrastructure and flooding, tidal inundation and erosion accelerated by climate change. The last round of community consultation was undertaken in November and December 2024, and the revised Plan was well received by the community. The Noosaville Foreshore parkland reserve stretches for approximately 2 kilometres and includes a diverse range of recreational facilities on the riverfront. It contains parks, sandy beaches, pedestrian and cycling pathways, parking lots, boat launching sites, public jetties, and amenities suitable for families such as barbecues, pavilions, and playgrounds. This reserve constitutes an important recreational space within Noosa Shire and is highly valued by both locals and visitors for its natural environment and vibrant river culture. Some of the challenges of the foreshore the Master Plan seeks to address include aging infrastructure, river flooding, tidal inundation, and storm tides. Much of the existing infrastructure in place today has reached the end of its service life and no longer meets contemporary standards, having been upgraded in excess of 25 years ago. In response to these challenges, a cohesive design strategy has been implemented, which has been articulated through the development of the NFIMP alongside the Concept Designs for Foreshore Resilience. The Plan seeks to preserve and enhance the amenity of the foreshore parklands while responding to increased demands on infrastructure, visitation, and coastal pressures. The Plan establishes a foundational structure for forthcoming investments by utilising grants and various funding mechanisms; rather than depending solely on revenue generated from residents' rates and can be used as a valuable support document to pursue grants to offset and enhance essential infrastructure expenditures. Current estimates are that in excess of $10 million in investment is required for critical asset renewal expenses, which encompass revetment walls, pathways, parking facilities, lighting and playgrounds. The final Master Plan presented in this report for Council approval has responded to extensive community consultation feedback (over 1000 residents engaged to date) and reflects significant changes from the first draft Master Plan presented in June 2024. Key topics such as carparking, tennis court, playgrounds, boating, public amenities, pathways, and river edge treatments have been addressed to align with community feedback, and the final Master Plan was well received with a largely positive response during the third and final round of community engagement. This project highlighted the need for extensive and effective community consultation on Council's major planning projects and demonstrated Council's ability to listen and respond meaningfully to the community. The report includes Attachment 1 as the final Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan.

Recommendation

That Council note the report by the Director Infrastructure Services to the Services & Organisation Committee dated 10 June 2025 and

  1. Approve the final Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan, provided at Attachment 1; and
  2. Authorise the CEO to implement the final Master Plan in order to enhance and protect Noosaville foreshore for both current and future generations including using the document as a key support document to attract grant funding for infrastructure renewal

Report

Introduction The Noosaville foreshore parkland reserve is approximately 2km long and is comprised of a series of parks and open spaces, sandy beaches, interconnected pedestrian and bike pathways, carparks and driveways, boat ramps, public jetties and family-friendly infrastructure including barbeques, pavilions, tennis court, and a major playground. It is the principal recreational space in Noosa Shire and is highly valued by the local community and visitors for its natural environment, amenities, and level of foreshore activity. The Noosaville foreshore is also a richly diverse community, where the culture and lifestyle of residents fuse to create a vibrant place through the natural backdrop, river culture, food, arts, recreation, and lifestyle. At the same time, the Noosaville Foreshore is experiencing failing infrastructure, visitation and coastal pressures including river flooding, tidal inundation and storm tides. For example, the foreshore area was upgraded 25 years ago resulting in much of the infrastructure reaching the end of its service life and increasingly unable to meet expected standards in terms of functionality, attractiveness and service standards. Consequently, Council sought a cohesive approach to establish a new planning and design direction for the Noosaville Foreshore that responds to challenges but maintains and enhances the amenity of the locality so valued by residents and visitors. This cohesive approach was translated into the preparation of the Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan (NFIMP), included as Attachment

to this report.

Proposal

  1. Project Scope Noosa Council, with the assistance of consultants, prepared the Master Plan to establish a comprehensive and cohesive future design direction for infrastructure for the public areas of the Noosaville Foreshore (including Thomas Street). Figure 1 - rendered final Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan Site Area and Vision The Noosaville precinct and site area for investigation is shown in Figure 1 and broadly includes: • Noosaville foreshore parklands adjacent to Gympie Terrace including Chaplin, Lions, Apex, Quota, Ely, Massoud and Pelican Beach Parks; • Noosa Waters Entrance Canal and surrounds including Humpty Doo Bridge; • Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club/facility external surrounds; • Public carparks and boat ramps within the study area; • Gympie Terrace road reserve including the road and adjacent footpath areas (between Noosa Waters Canal and William Street); and • Thomas Street road reserve including the road and adjacent footpath areas (between Gympie Terrace and Mary Street).
  1. Project Aims: • Capture the remarkable essence of Noosaville Foreshore and its social, amenity, economic and ecological value to residents and visitors and provide a design direction that is responsive and appropriate. • Engage the community in a meaningful and authentic way to determine a responsive design and planning vision and strategies. • Achieve common understanding by stakeholders on the complexity of infrastructure issues facing Noosaville foreshore, particularly arising from coastal erosion and visitor management pressures. • Articulate a highly considered and well-resolved design strategy direction for all hard and soft infrastructure in Noosaville Foreshore that stipulates parameter requirements for future upgrades; and • Formulate a cohesive suite of infrastructure treatments, based on the above aims, to allow Council to receive grant funding in the future. The overall purpose of the Master Plan is to: • Enhance liveability and community wellbeing; • Attract and retain local investment; • Meet necessary standards of service; • Attract external funding; • Ensure long-term cost savings; • Provide efficient resource allocation; • Manage threats of erosion and sea level rise; • Address failing and degraded infrastructure; and, • Address necessary $10M+ asset renewal & maintenance costs The final NFIMP along with the extensive program activities, including multiple rounds of community engagement, has successfully delivered on the abovementioned Project Aims and stated benefits. The report includes one attachment being the final Noosaville Foreshore Infrastructure Master Plan.

Report details

Index: ECM/ Property Management / Noosaville Foreshore Land Use Masterplan