Foreshore Forum done and dusted.
Sue Brooks November 28th, 2009
I imagine that the debate about the Hervey Bay (and beyond) foreshore will continue for eternity but at least I survived the forum on Thursday evening at USQ without too many bruises.
I don’t enjoy public speaking and was quite nervous about my presentation but I believe that the large audience appreciated the overview I gave of the current Hervey Bay Forehore Plan and the personal comments that I ended the presentation with. There were 4 other speakers besides myself being Greg McGarvie (sec. FraserCoast Sustainable Development Assoc), Brett Langabeer (USQ staff member), Kevin Smith (Manager Le Mer) and Leigh Bennett (consultant to USQ etc. and past HBCC CEO). The facilitator was Steve Dixon (real estate). I do think that all 4 other speakers were promoting a level of development or change for the foreshore/Esplanade varying from resuming caravan park land to introducing more lawn areas, providing increased views and to increased built development. I recall Steve Dixon saying to the TV news reporter that people come to live here to be by the sea and they expect to see the sea!
Needless to say I totally disagree with this opinion.
The other presenters, in my opinion, agreed that we don’t want to chop down trees but it was hard to understand how you could achieve some of the outcomes presented without tree removal.
On Thursday morning I drove the Esplanade from The Gables to Urangan and noted the distance and the condition of the foreshore. I also measured (lineally) how much space is ‘natural’ and how much is ‘developed’. I think we have a good balance and also have room to accomodate more people into the future. We are extremely privileged that we have 12 kms of ‘urban’ foreshore.
Thursday lunch time I drove to the Seafront Oval and got out my bike for a ride along the pathway. I had never previously ever walked or ridden the entire pathway in all my 11 years here! I began at Seafront Oval and 30 minutes later arrived at Margaret St, Urangan where I turned around and headed back. What did I see?
I saw people walking, people cycling, people sitting in the shade and eating or resting or playing. I saw an elderly couple gazing out to sea. What made the scene memorable was the caring manner in which the gentleman had his arm gently around his partner holding her in a relaxed cuddle. I saw two young guys walking their small black puppy. I saw a jogger who nearly overtook me so I decided to peddle just a little faster. I saw someone windsurfing and the van pull up to await a brave skydiver. I saw two youths using metal detectors obviously hunting for treasures and a picnic table full of young men laughing and talking and ‘hanging out’ together. It made my day when they returned my wave with a call of ‘hey sexy!’ It has been too long to remember since anyone described me in that manner. I saw labourers and office workers alone or in small groups having their lunch. I saw mothers watching while their young children played. I saw people reading, doing crosswords, listening to an ipod or talking on their mobile. I saw people on the jetties using mobility scooters and people snoozing on the grass.
I also saw the beautiful blue waters of our wonderful Hervey Bay, the green leaved trees and the sun drenched clear blue sky. I saw dry brown leaves and grasses and green well watered lawns. I saw dry and dusty sand dunes waiting patiently for rain and I saw only 4 pieces of human produced litter on the entire trip. I heard birds calling, waves gently breaking and the sounds of human happiness. I certainly must take this ride more regularly and venture to other parts of the foreshore. I enjoyed every minute of my 60 minutes and I’m sure my body also benefitted from the gentle exercise.
I was amazed at the different perspective I gained of the foreshore from the seat of my bike. Nearly the entire length of that pathway were views of the water which aren’t available from the road. It reminded me that when we speak of something as important as our foreshore we have to remember to think about it from all angles. The views we are rewarded with include views from a boat in the water, (few buildings protrude above what could be the middle of the bush) the end of our Pier, the sandy beaches where we sit, the pathways where we can walk and cycle, the Esplanade on which we drive and the buildings where we can eat, shop and sleep.
The foreshore vegetation provides shade from the sun, shelter from the wind, a home for much wildlife, and a beautiful natural setting found in very few developed urban cities. The vegetation growing alongside our beach also protects our buildings and helps prevent more serious erosion.
I moved to Hervey Bay primarily because of this beautiful foreshore. I love that the city lies alongside a peaceful calm Northerly facing Bay. I love the green trees and the relaxing drive along the Esplnade at 50km with no traffic lights to interrupt my journey. I love living so close to the foreshore that I get to walk on the beach every day. I can’t see the sea but I live close enough to hear it. The trees between our house and the water are what make living on our little patch of paradise a blessing. Where else could you live on acreage just 10 minutes from ‘town’ and walk to the beach every day if you choose to? When the Northerlies are blowing at full blast all we have here is a gentle cooling breeze.
Council is curently reviewing the actions associated with the adopted 2007 Foreshore Plan. This review has been underway since earlier this year and had been planned when the Foreshore Plan was initially adopted by the then HBCC in 2007. Council will decide which actions within the plan we have met, which ones we haven’t and whether these actions need to remain in place. I personally have asked that we also discuss what we can do in relation to improved weed management. I do expect that mulched areas will not increase and that they will be well maintained. I do expect some trees to be planted to provide shade where we have gaps and to replace trees that are removed because they are dangerous or dying from old age. Other planting should incorporate ground covers to help prevent erosion.
I will advise you via this site when that report is listed for a Council meeting. It will be either late this year or early next year. I have also asked that the plan be mounted on the Council web site. I expect that a new ‘Foreshore Plan,’ encompassing the entire Fraser Coast foreshore, will be needed once we conclude our SEMP and the Sustainable Growth 2031 – Land Use Strategy targetted for 2011.
Thank you to everyone who came along to USQ last Thursday and also to all the people who have emailed me and written to me with their thoughts about the foreshore. The overhelming majority of you seem to agree with me. We don’t want a ‘concrete coast’ and we basically want the foreshore to be maintained in a natural manner pretty much as we find it today.
We are truly belessed to have such a beautiful place to live and I hope that we can continue to care for it and appreciate it for many years after I’m long gone. I believe that people come to live here and to visit our patch of coast because it is special, beautiful and so very, very unique.
