Per our March Noosa 360 update, the awaited report from Noosa Council staff was released in June for the Noosa Councillors to consider in relation to advocating for state funding for any extra or increased boating infrastructure. This report is available here.

Please find below summary provided by Noosa Council:

That Council note the report by the Principal Environment Officer and the Infrastructure Planning Co-ordinator to the Services and Organisation Committee Meeting dated 6 June 2023 and:

Note its appreciation for MSQ / DTMR in commissioning the investigation to respond to increasing demand for recreational boating facilities

Raise concerns for the lack of a regional approach to planning for boat launching facilities, particularly when the Noosa River system is a relatively small system compared to other regional water bodies and may not have the capacity to accommodate statistical growth.

Seek discussions about increased funding from MSQ / DTMR to fund onshore components of the boat ramp facilities.

Welcome further discussions between MSQ and Council to support expedient placement of the Noosa Woods Pontoon, Gympie Terrace Noosaville Pontoon, and Lake Street Tewantin Pontoon to assist in improving boating access to the Noosa River

Welcome initiation of planning processes jointly with MSQ and TMR to upgrade facilities at Albert / Thomas Steet (Noosaville) Boat Ramp, Hilton Esplanade (Tewantin) Boat Ramp, Lake Street (Tewantin) Boat Ramp and Moorindil Street (Tewantin) Boat Ramp but raise concerns for the unrealistic increase in car and trailer carparking capacity indicated in the Noosa Recreational Boating Facilities Demand Forecasting Study due to traffic, landscape and environmental impact.

Reject the proposed facility at Chaplin Park due to planning, tenure and character impacts on the park.

Note that Council is proposing to initiate a Parking Study in FY23/24 that will include examination of car and trailer parking at and near to boat ramps to examine additional measures to manage capacity through contemporary parking demand management techniques, and that the outcomes of this study should inform any consideration of future boat ramps.

Our Office has previously advocated with the Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads for State funding for ‘onshore’ facilities required as part of upgrading or providing new boat ramps, who provided the following response:

There is currently no funding allocation to Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) for a grants program to assist councils with the landside (‘onshore’) facilities (carparks, access roads, lighting) that they are required to provide as part of longstanding partnership arrangement for the delivery of boat launching facilities.

Funding for new projects under the Queensland Government’s former Marine Infrastructure Fund was:

  • restricted to ‘in-water’ works.
  • concluded in June 2020.

MSQ’s funding for landside boat launching facilities has been restricted in the past to:

  • construction, maintenance, and upgrade of the carparks at the eight-state managed state boat harbours (there are two managed by other entities)
  • a small grant in 2011 to Northern Peninsular Area Regional Council as a contribution to the carpark at the Seisia recreational boat ramp near Bamaga.
  • a small/contributory grant to Livingstone Shire Council (LSC) in 2017-18 as part of combined funding by LSC and MSQ to upgrade the Nerimbera boat ramp on the north bank of the Fitzroy River – the facility being in the LSC area (Keppel Electorate) but servicing primarily Rockhampton Regional Council ratepayers, with neither council willing to contribute partnership funding – and LSC otherwise unwilling to upgrade the access road.

Noosa Shire Council (NSC) is aware of both these historic/once‑off small grants.

An opportunity may arise in the future regarding the implementation of a refined marine zone for the Noosa River. This would be a unique project. Ideally MSQ would partner with NSC. No discussions have been held.

We will continue to work with Noosa Council on this and update the community via Noosa 360 and social media as more information becomes available.

Further Information

To contact the Noosa Councillors, please find their information at www.noosa.qld.gov.au/downloads/file/927/contact-list-councillors

Direct advocacy to the Queensland Minister for Transport can be directed to transportandmainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au

Please remember to cc’ our office in on any emails via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au as well forward any response you receive to us.

For our previous Noosa 360 update on boating infrastructure, please visit www.sandybolton.com/boating-infrastructure-march-2023.

For our previous Noosa 360 updates on the Noosa River, please visit www.sandybolton.com/?s=Noosa+River

For our previous Noosa 360 updates on the soon to be open Department of Fisheries Boat Shed, please visit www.sandybolton.com/?s=DAF+Boat+Shed