Minutes of TAPP Inc. General Meeting October 13th 2020
Held in the Pelican Room at Caloundra Power Boat Club
All welcomed by Ken Mewburn Secretary of TAPP
1. Member Attendance: – as per attendance book (15)
Apologies :- as per attendance book (11)
Motion put that the apologies be accepted
Moved: Carla Seconded: Ken
2. Minutes of Previous Meeting:
Motion put that the minutes of previous meeting be accepted as a true record of that meeting.
Moved: Carla Seconded: Col Carried
3. Correspondence –Carla
Incoming
- Andrew Wallace LNP Federal Member – response to our letter Paul wrote about the EPBC Act. The response was a pro forma letter, which did not really address the questions.
- Terry Landsberg, our Councilor – re the Division 2 Community Group meeting which is being held the same time as our TAPP Meeting – it is important for our community groups to be continually represented at this meeting therefore Brady, Paul and John were not able to be here today.
- Unity Water – inviting TAPP to their zoom meeting to discuss future water related plan
- Shanagh Jacobs – Council officer re the Seaplane and LARC
- Qld Water and Landcare (QWaLC) invited us to attend their AGM on 5th November
- Stuart Coward invited TAPP Members to a meeting this afternoon with David Crisafulli – the Shadow Minister for the Environment – this also clashes with our meeting and the Div 2 Community meeting. However, Craig and Kerrie will be going as well as Paul.
- SC Council re the Australia Day Awards
- OSCAR, BIEPA and Wildlife Preservation Updates
Outgoing
- Visionary Warriors – to let them know that we were not going to have our stall at their Spring into Scavenge event at Bulcock
- Letter to Hamish Pressland in regard to the Bell’s Creek Erosion Control Program
- Letters to Stuart Coward LNP, Jason Hunt Labor and Raelene Ellis Greens, State Government Election Candidates, to organise meetings to discuss TAPP Issues
Motion put that the correspondence be endorsed and accepted.
Moved: Carla Seconded: Muriel Carried
4. Treasurer’s Report –Carla
| As at 30 September 2020 | |
| Balance brought Forward from 31/08/2020 | $ 12,580.58 |
| Interest 01/09/2020 | $ .50 |
| 7 September Cheque 65 – Office of Fair Trading | $ 65.00 |
| 17 September Cheque 66 – Ken Mewburn Reimbursement for Onslow Materials | $ 109.00 |
| Memberships | $ 0.00 |
| Donations – | $ 0.00 |
| Bank Transaction Fees | $ 0.00 |
| Direct Credit Deposit | |
| Balance as at 30/09/2020 | $ 12,416.08 |
Financial Membership: 32 (as at 30/9/2020)
Motion put that the Treasurer’s report be accepted as a true record of our account to date.
Moved: Carla Seconded: Alan Carried
5. Business Arising From Minutes
Seaplane and LARC – will be discussed in the Matters for Discussion
5.1 Matters for Information
Presentation of our Appreciation Award to the Power Boat Club was to happen today but the people receiving the award are not here today. Therefore, we will present it to them in the coming week.
Application for grant for Pumicestone Catchment Convergence to be held on 16 -18/19 Feb 2021 –We have an application in with the SC Council for $6,000 and we should find out whether we were successful in the coming days. We have also approached BIEPA to put an application in to the Moreton Bay Council for $3,000. This event will be fully catered – and the catering cost is quite large so some of this grant will offset this cost. Our aim is to reduce the overall cost of the Convergence and thereby reduce the entry registration fee so that it will be manageable for the public.
Neighbourhood Watch Article
The previous Neighbourhood Watch article was about the Convergence to be held in February. Next month’s article from TAPP will be about the Trichodesmium algae that is coming into the Passage.
TS Onslow Vandalism sign
The sign is being prepared and we should have it up by the end of the week. It is asking the public for their assistance in looking after the site and lets them know who to contact if the see any further damage.
Unity Water Meeting
TAPP was invited to a meeting with Unity Water who are currently developing a total water cycle plan to guide future water related planning for four key catchments of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions. They appointed a consulting firm ‘Many Small Things’ to set up meetings with a mix of stakeholders
Ken and Brady linked in via Zoom and they were presented with a number of questions.
One issue was the problem of water going back up the storm water outlets on the Passage during high tides and storm surges– that there was a need for a non-return valve to be placed on the storm water drains. The sewage problem in the Passage was also mentioned.
They had a list of probable ways to manage the supply of water in the future – dams, desalination plants and dredging existing dams.
They did not discuss recycling water or specifically enlarging the Baroon Pocket dam.
We should receive a report on the meeting.
Meeting with Candidates
TAPP committee has met with the Jason Hunt – Labor Party, Stuart Coward- Liberal Party and Raelene Ellis – Greens.
They were all interested in learning more about the Passage and the specific issues that may impact on it in the future. They all were saying that they agreed with the need to maintain the inter-urban break – however we need statutory recognition and protection by primary legislation. Jason Hunt also said he was committed to putting rangers on the Passage.
On Thursday 15th October there will be a ‘Meet the Candidates Evening’ at the Main Hall of the Indoor Bowls Club in Burke Street, Golden Beach at 6:30 for a 7:00 pm start.
5.2 Matters for Discussion
Bells Creek Erosion Control Project
This project arose as we noticed that the banks of the creek were starting to erode due to the increase in the number of people living along the creek. We met earlier this year with a Council officer and Susie Chapman and photographed and listed the 5 sites which needed restoring and one which needed to be closed. Susie Chapman of Healthy Land and Water had some funds we could access for planting and weeding the sites. Susie has prepared the project brief that has been tabled here.
Actions – Paul has written to Henzells requesting a meeting and he will follow through with this. Carla will contact one of the Council Environment officers to organise a meeting with them again on site.
TS Onslow working bee and site update
The site south of the recently restored section, a favorite fishing spot was trampled and washed out. Council dumped 7 truckloads of sand there which was beginning to wash away from behind the concrete blocks. The working bee last week placed coir logs behind the concrete blocks to secure the sand. Council will also give us some jute matting which at the next working bee we will place over the sand and then plant that space again.
Action – Ken will let us know when the plants have been purchased and the matting is ready for the next working bee
Sea Plane and amphibious vehicle applications
We wrote to Council about the Seaplane and received an email in response which stated that – “The application is currently on hold at the request of the applicant so no further assessment will take place at this time. Your correspondence has been placed on file to consider with any future application from the applicant”
In regard to the Amphibious Vehicle – the LARC – the Council officer stated that “we don’t have an application for an amphibious vehicle to operate from council-controlled land at this time. Where a business is water-based but doesn’t need council-controlled land to conduct transactions or pick-up passengers it is not something that requires Council approval. The only exception to this would be if it was operating on a council water body.”
Action – TAPP Committee will contact Maritime Safety Qld (MSQ) to see if they have an application for a LARC
Enforcement of regulations on the Passage & changing the speed limit
TAPP is continuing to work with Mark McArdle to create a peak body that would be a one stop shop for rules and regulations on the Passage including how it is managed. The speed limit on the Passage is the most important issue and with the introduction of a lower limit we would need a Ranger to enforce this.
Action Carla will ask MSQ about the Jet Ski operator near Jensens Park.
Invitation to Local Police and MSQ to address a TAPP meeting
Brady has been in contact with the Local police and is in the process of organising them to come to our meeting next month.
We will arrange MSQ to come to our meeting early next year.
Action – Carla to contact MSQ
Nominations for the Australia Day Awards
We received a letter from the SC Council asking us if we wanted to nominate any one for the Awards next year. If you have any one you would like to nominate, please let us know.
Inclusion in the OSCAR Election Working Group
OSCAR has sent a list of questions to the State Candidates and their responses will be published on the OSCAR website. Some of the questions are very relevant to TAPP – e.g. the statutory recognition of the Inter-Urban break, a moratorium on Planning Scheme Amendments within any areas under threat from storm surge and sea level rise, until the completion and full implementation of the Coastal hazard Adaptation Strategy and ecological sustainability in our region. Other interesting questions relate to the Planning Act; Unity Waters possible strategies for the future; EPBC Act and Local and State Government Reform. OSCAR Website https://www.oscar.org.au/
Sea-Side Scavenge event at Bulcock Beach
We decided not to set up at this event because the Covid regulations were such that all members working would need to complete a Covid awareness online course and print out the certificate and each person would only be able to stay on the site for an hour.
Dump Points in the Passage
Pelican Waters will have a dump point in their new Marina that will not be accessible to many of the boats. We are working towards having a dump point at the boat ramp near Apex Park. We also need a pump out facility for live-on boats that have a tank.
6. Around the Table
John Groves – one of our local historians, showed us several interesting pictures – Light House Reach, a tidal surge in 1931 that came along the Passage and flooded the lower floors of the houses where the ice works used to be.
He also had a picture of the model of the Passage and Bribie Island created by the University of Queensland to demonstrate the wave action in the event of a breakthrough in the island. Great photos – thanks John
Ian – wandering if the wave action from the huge ships in the shipping channel are a significant factor on the erosion of the sand erosion on the eastern side of the Island. Water coming from the Pelican Waters canal is having an effect on the western side.
The oyster beds in the middle of the island are diverting the channel to the western edge of the island which is also causing erosion.
Tom – asking about the Trichodesmium algae that are coming in to the Passage, see the article on the TAPP website
Di – Next week is National Bird Watching Week and the public are encouraged to do a Backyard Bird Count for 20 minutes a day – find out more at www.birdsinbackyards.net Last year’s winner was the rainbow lorikeet and second was the noisy minor.
Ian – research happening in sewage treatment where they harvest the algae and make plastic out of it.
Carla – If anyone is interested, we can see about a tour of the Maroochydore Sewage Plant.
Ken thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting at 4:31 pm
Next Meeting will be on 10th November in the Wave Room, Power Boat Club at 3:00 pm