Sue Brooks' Blog

Sue Brooks November 12th, 2009

There is a lot of debate, yet again, about the Hervey Bay foreshore. The stretch of foreshore primarily between Pt Vernon and Urangan is the target for some recent public discussion. (This is the section of foreshore I am referring to in this discussion). The Chronicle and The Indy have run some stories and I thought it time I set the record straight.

The Fraser Coast Regional Council is currently bound by the previous Councils adopted policies in relation to areas of land that were under their control prior to amalgamation. As the new FCRC progresses it will be reviewing these policies to ensure that they remain up to date and reflect the wants and needs of appropriate stakeholders.

In relation to the Hervey Bay Foreshore the previous Hervey Bay City Council had adopted a Foreshore Plan, under much public interest and comment, in 2006. As Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Portfolio I had asked, earlier this year, that Council review the actions that are a part of this plan to ensure that they are still relevant.  This process is nearly complete and I expect a report will come before Fraser Coast Regional Council outlining recommended changes to the actions that are a part of the Foreshore Plan in the near future.

 Council, I believe, will also need to consider how we fund an extended Foreshore Plan that encompasses the entire foreshore that we are now responsible for. While I personally detest spending thousands of dollars on consultants that end up telling us stuff we could do for ourselves by simply talking to people, I do think a formal plan for this important area of land is essential.

One of the main reasons that I haven’t been progressing this issue more urgently is that I believe the SEMP (Shoreline Erosion Management Plan) outcomes need to be taken into consideration. During the last process of community consultation in relation to foreshore planning erosion was the number one concern of our residents. Residents were worried that focussing on a foreshore, where big parts of it were washing away was, difficult to understand. I would therefore like to see the SEMP finalised prior to a new or revised Foreshore Plan being developed.

Personally I believe our Hervey Bay foreshore from Pt Vernon to Urangan is basically a natural wonder that we must protect and conserve. The tree lined Esplanade and meandering pathways alongside a beautiful calm and coral filled beach make us the envy of many other cities and towns throughout the land. Many, many residents and tourists that I speak to simply say ‘Please, please don’t wreck it. Don’t turn it into a Gold Coast style beach.’ This message is stong and consistent. I personally chose to spend the rest of my life in Hervey Bay due to the climate and our wonderful foreshore. We are one of the fastest growing regions in the country. I think many of us have chosen to settle here for similar reasons.

So to the future. I personally agree that there are sections of the foreshore that require attention. To say I don’t think the foreshore ‘needs work’ is simply wrong. I would prefer to see all ground cover and bushy weed species removed. I would like to see replacement tree plantings that will eventually replace our mature trees as they age and die. I hope the species planted are endemic but selectively chosen and located to retain and enhance existing views. I would like to see native and non native ground covers used to protect the delicate dune areas. These ground covers need to be very low growing also to retain view lines. I don’t want to see any increase in ‘bushy vegetaton.’ I want to ensure that formalised garden beds are well maintained and that previous revegetation sites are also well maintained.

Our natural vegetation alongside our beaches protects us all from wind and walking along our sandy beaches is much more pleasant in winter time when those South Easterlies are blustering across the city. We need to ensure that our formalised parklands where we have BBQ’s toilets and playground facilities are well maintained, as they are now, to provide adequate picnic and play opportunities for everyone. We need to ensure that the natural areas of our foreshore are weed free and well maintained so that they appear naturally attractive. Let’s not forget that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and what might appear messy to one person may appear attractive to another. I would intensely dislike living in a unit inside a high concrete and glass tower but other people love them and want to reside inside them and think they look attractive.

So yes I do think it is very appropriate to regularly review how we manage our foreshore to ensure we best reflect community wishes, I believe our foreshore is a precious jewel in our crown. A natural treasure that we are so lucky to have had preserved down through the years. Hervey Bay requires a point of difference from our Southern holiday spots. I believe our low rise and natural looking beautiful foreshore and Esplanade is what makes us special and is that point of difference. Yes we can ‘improve’ sections of our foreshore by removing weeds and replacing them with low growing ground covers. Maybe more residents will join our CEP programme and help us to keep these areas clean and tidy but overall I believe we have a good balance between ‘developed’ parkland and natural areas.

I don’t think the Hervey Bay foreshore should be made entirely of mown lawns that need to be watered. We are blessed with a long length of urban coastal land. Lets retain a balance between ‘people places’ and ‘natural spaces.’ After all we have enough room to do just that.

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