An alternative vision for fixing our dog beach by community guest blogger Malcolm Hunt:
I believe this affects all of us! Our Noosa River is and always has been a source of life for our town and the indigenous inhabitants before us. The degradation of our river since I first grew to love it in 1964 is alarming and now the Government departments in charge, and who have authority over our river system allow up to 5% degradation every year.

Time for change

What have our children got to look forward to? I think it’s time to make a change, a change for our sustainable future.  What has sparked me to speak out is the constant inadequacy compiled upon inadequacy. I have lived in Noosa Inlet for 20 years and watched as our compressed river mouth eats away at our estuarine mangroves and now the plan is to spend 3 Million dollars creating a beach for dogs and to control erosion on the Noosa spit and this erosion  will be controlled  with geo-textile bags and rock armament. Do we really need this dinosaur technology when the new tourist buzz is eco –education, not much eco –education in plastic bags and rock walls? Let’s stop compounding inadequacies, instead let’s create a sustainable future for everyone.

Fallen trees make for a good natural habitat

Currently there are a large number of fallen trees on the shore line in the water of Noosa Spit. Various species of fish make good use of this natural phenomenon as habitat, which in turn provides great fishing grounds for people, shags, cormorants and hawks. But the Council in its wisdom is going to remove these ‘unsightly’ trees then fill geo-textile bags with sand, replacing the trees. Then to protect the geo-textile bags they plan to deploy Cooroy Mountain rock armament against the geo-textile sand bags, so creating an unnatural environment that speeds up the river tidal and flood flows thus bullying the river into submission. Where once there were mangroves that slowed the current flows on the edges of the river and created fish habitat now there will be more sterile Cooroy Mountain Rock walls. You only need watch the shags and cormorants happily fishing amongst the fallen trees, to then observe how they stop where the rock walls begin in the river mouth. They know there aren’t any fish along the existing man made rock wall, and of course this is where the fishing platforms are built. 

An alternative proposal: trees, mangroves and a submerged reef

Allow me to introduce an alternative plan. I’ve been an award winning environmental landscaper for over 44 years. Kingfisher Bay - listed in the top 10 environmental resorts in the world on Fraser Island was one of my projects. I suggest we work hand in hand with Nature and implement a softer and more ecologically productive protection strategy that is more in-line with Noosa’s listing as a Biosphere.

I propose that a more sustainable solution can be provided by utilising a combination of existing trees, planted mangroves and a submerged reef that will act as a sand trap. Fallen trees should be bound together into clumps to create natural groins to help mitigate the current flow. A porous reef made of concrete purpose built Reef Balls should be placed into the river around the sides and ends of the natural tree groins to trap and hold sand as well as provide habitat. Within the intertidal area, mangroves should be planted and protective mangrove planters used as necessary to facilitate their survival until sufficient roots develop.

An all-natural habitat and recreation area

This will create clusters of protective mangrove fish habitat and smaller more intimate beaches between the vegetation. The ultimate goal being an all-natural habitat of pockets of beach interlaced with cluster mangroves enhancing and protecting the entire Noosa Spit shore line.

Beatiful natural aesthetic

This implementation would ensure beautiful natural aesthetic areas where you could fish and still be able to drive your boat up on the sand and let the dog out to play. But with the council plan there eventually will be one continuous rock wall running the length of Dog Beach all the way to the open sea with a guaranteed lack of fish habitat, incredibly fast flowing tidal currents, and no hope of pulling a boat up anywhere. So putting further pressure on the remaining sand shoals during peak holiday periods when we will have boats, people, dogs  and migratory birds all competing  for the same space. 

Reef Balls on the other hand have a void space equivalent to 60% of their total volume and in this application would slow currents and trap sand naturally but still allow water movement over the top of them. This creates a self-sustaining sand bar holding the shoreline together, with minimal upfront cost and no future cost whatsoever. Reef Balls are used by the Queensland, New South Wales and Victorian government to construct effective recreational fishing reefs, and they have proven very effective as breakwaters in over five countries. Check out www.reefballaustralia.com.au

The problem we are dealing with here is a man-made environment which takes up 50% of the old river mouth. Imagine the increased pressure placed on the remaining estuarine environment. There used to be a thick wall of mangrove trees from my house to the river mouth, however these have all  been uprooted and swept away, and now the river is eroding the foreshore of North Shore at an alarming rate. With ICM plan to put in more rock walls, geo-textile sand bags plus rock armament; this will increase the pressure on the River and North Shore. I now have an ocean view from my house, which is all very nice but in reality is not sustainable. We need mangroves in the river eco system or there will be no fish for our children’s children. We certainly do not need more sterile rock walls or sand bags which break down after a time. We don’t need our river to look like every other rock lined river estuary, openly barren.

I recommend Council along with the entire community seriously consider the application of Reef Balls in clusters from inside Noosa Spit through to and along the length of Dog Beach continuing west around the last remaining estuary mangrove island of the original Noosa River Estuary. The Reef Balls, because of their design, mitigate current flow, prevent erosion, capture and entrap sand, create fish habitat  generate fish reserves, grow oysters, algae, sponges on their rough surface, enhance and protect mangrove eco systems.

A truly positive aspect is that Reef Ball Australia supports sustainable development and has offered us a collection of assorted Reef Balls at reduced prices, therefore the price in dollar terms to rejuvenate the entire Noosa River estuary would amount to half the costs of stage one of the ICM’s existing proposal of 1.6 million dollars. I estimate a complete makeover of Noosa Spit for approximately $820K whereas the council estimates to complete the full works are over 3 million dollars. Three million dollars carting tons of Cooroy Mountain rock through Hastings Street, dredging sand to fill geo-textile bags brought in from a Gold Coast company. Our money leaves town!

Reef Balls could be made here in town and deployed by locals. The money stays here. Or the entire project could be made into a wholesome community project. Instead of creating another rock walled sterile river estuary (like all the others) we would be creating and interesting diverse eco system ensuring sustainability for evermore. Interesting new approaches to the environment, fish and fishing and healthy waterways bring tourists while creating new jobs and community pride. Let’s dump the old dinosaur days and take on an ecological new sustainable approach to looking after our river. I think it has been bullied enough in the past. Let’s take a more sympathetic approach to our children’s future and the future of our river. Rock walls don’t come anywhere close to performing a sustainable future.

Power to the people

So in agreeing that this is a viable alternative I believe that the community could tender for the project to save Noosa Spit for the betterment of all concerned. For example a family could buy a reef ball or you could buy as many as you liked.  200 Reef Balls would go a long way to solving erosion problems, rejuvenating fish stocks and replenishing beaches while at the same time provide first class recreational and educational grounds for locals and tourists alike as well as creating new jobs. Cost to deploy a total of 200 reef balls would amount to less than 1 million dollars all up. I am prepared to put my money where my mouth is by wearing the cost of up to 15 Reef Balls. Sunshine Beach State High and other high schools could be invited to participate in planting mangroves or designing their vision for segments of the deployment. There are no limits as to who and how community could get involved. We need to pull together, unite to bring about a strong voice and decision for the betterment of our community.

After all it would befall local ratepayers to foot the bill, wasting millions on rock walls and giant sand bags. We get one shot at this let’s do it right once and for all. A positive sustainable change comes from the passion of the people, gathering a community together initiating a first move in creating and putting forth a unique natural idea.

Tenders close on the 24th June 2011! We plan on submitting a tender if anyone is interested send us an email to granitexpress@live.com.au Power to the people!!! 

Mangroves along the eroded beach

Noosa river - naturally beautiful

Fallen trees along the dog beach, a rich animal habitat