After being elected in 2017, one of Sandy’s first commitments was to improve the management of Noosa River. In an initial meeting with the Minister for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) in 2018, I covered the issues that needed to be addressed within TMR’s portfolio which included the river as well the much needed Beckman’s Road/Tewantin Bypass (covered in other updates at www.sandybolton.com/?s=beckmans.)

Within Noosa Councils ‘Noosa River Plan 2019’ was the Noosa Community Jury findings that State Government should hand over certain responsibilities due to the poor management in evidence. That was a pivotal meeting, with the Minister committing to working with Sandy to address these issues, avoiding a transfer to Noosa Council and costs to ratepayers, and thus the journey began.

Her work with the Department and Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) saw the improvements commence, including 31 hulks removed to date with another 31 restored to seaworthy and 22 currently under investigation, a dedicated MSQ office and officer in 2020 as well river speed data collection via those ‘Smiley Sams’ leading to speed reductions in 2023. In addition, meetings here in Noosa with the War on Wrecks program taskforce as part of needed legislative and other changes to address remaining hulks.

Importantly, with such diverse stakeholders and given the long history of ‘contention’, it was vital that our community were ‘on board’ this journey, including major stakeholders such as Noosa Council, with General Manager of MSQ Angus looking to develop an advisory group in 2019 and process as a ‘first’ for QLD. By early 2020 he confirmed that he had investigated the establishment of a Noosa River Advisory Group, and as part of advised that Noosa Council was also exploring the option. MSQ supported Sandy’s view that two separate groups would not achieve what was needed, and the Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee (NSRAC) was formed in April 2021, co-chaired by MSQ’s General Manager and Noosa Council’s CEO. This group included key community representatives across various sectors of river use, with the task to prioritise the issues and work through them until recommendations were delivered, with the group’s role completed in March 2023.

This was followed by broader community consultation, resulting in rolled out changes regarding speed and zones, and the upcoming ones around liveaboards and moorings.

After two or more decades of our community being frustrated by the poor management of the river, it was an enormous commitment of State Government to acknowledge they needed to do better and work with Sandy on this, commit to a course of action, and deliver. This was a journey of some six years in total – three years from the start of advocacy to the formation of the NRSAC, and then another three years until the final management changes and timeline were announced.

We understood this was always going to be difficult given the long-standing history, and how to address everyone’s needs and viewpoints to deliver a safer and cleaner river that all could enjoy.

For our liveaboard residents, although it’s never been lawful to do so, it was a priority for Sandy to ensure that no one would be put at risk of homelessness through rollout of enforcement and has been assured that for anyone that has been identified as vulnerable, supports are being provided.

For the details and timeline of upcoming river management changes, please refer to our previous update at www.sandybolton.com/noosa-river-management-update-may-2024.

Further information

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