WORKSHOP NOTES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:

What Don’t We Know?

  • Do we know the value of recreation, tourism, agriculture and ecosystem services to the catchment and the Inter-Urban Break?
  • How should we manage damage to recreational values from jet skis, unsociable behaviour and vehicles? Through legislative change ensuring more state responsibility for compliance.
  • What options are there for better management, for example with forestry leases?
  • How can unsustainable development by prevented in the catchment?
  • How can climate change be better incorporated into statutory documents? Eg. Planning scheme, , SEQRP 2017 – Urban Footprint.
  • When and how will the carrying capacity of the catchment be determined?
  • Co-ordinated approach to community and citizen science, data and integration, particularly for monitoring coastal zones and good quality monitoring guidelines. Need more education on the purpose and the how-to of data collection. How can schools be included more to affect parents?
  • Knowledge and policy gap in environmental information and developers requirements.
  • Co-benefits between nature and people- priority investment needed for planning, protection and conservation.
  • Integrating Traditional Owners and Western knowledge systems.
  • How does an individual invest in sustainable development in the region?
  • Property market needs to make buyers aware of the future impacts of climate change on their property.

Actions:

  • Green infrastructure audits and benchmarks for urban and rural residential development to maintain multiple objectives.
  • Vehicle for investments in Sustainable Development
  • Adopt rivers/creeks
  • Document historic impacts on catchment (ie. Clearing of coastal Blackbutt by spraying, oyster dredging, loss of Bribie Wildflower habitat)
  • Better coordination between the two local governments and State, for rehabilitation of rivers and watercourses.
  • Buffer zones to coastal areas – to counteract sea level rise.
  • Integrate PP Action Plan into Local Government Planning Scheme Codes.
  • Development approvals must consider off site impacts such as stormwater from rainfall events.
  • Definition of sustainable to include intergenerational equity.
  • Circular economies for development, agriculture, tourism. (For example, odd bod markets for irregular shaped produce) – opportunities to value add to these economies.
  • Decouple the growth based economy versus the sustainable economy.

What knowledge is needed?

Area 1 (northern):

  • Impacts of current and further development (cumulative) eg. Erosion, tourism, domestic animals, recreational use etc.
  • Current and future impacts of climate change
  • Condition of marine and wetland ecosystems and effectiveness of restoration projects.

Area 2 (southern):

  • How is research information (USC) being used in the renewal/review of Moreton Bay Marine Park Zoning review?

Area 3 & 4 (Bribie Island):

  • Research into impact of Bribie fires on small mammal species population and ecology.
  • Impacts of fire regime on vegetation type, composition of tree communities, and regeneration.
  • Impacts of noise pollution at Sandstone Point on nearby bird populations.
  • Aerial control of mosquitoes.

Area 5:

  • Impacts of development (hydrology, runoff) in this area to other parts of the catchment.
  • Research into the water cycle of Pumicestone Passage

Area 6:

  • Impacts on ecological values of Pumicestone Passage as a result of the increasing development (particularly water quality).

Area 7

  • Socio-economic characteristics of regions and implications of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Key Issues:

  • No further extension of urban development (southern)
  • All boats require propeller guards
  • Different authority areas need to be integrated.
  • Better resourcing of policing throughout lower Pumicestone.
  • Policing of feral dogs, cats, pets and animals on Bribie Island.
  • Potential of groundwater extraction at Bribie Island.
  • Seasonal closure of shorebird roosting areas.
  • No north-south connection.
  • Contain urban development to Caloundra South.
  • Ongoing maintenance of WSUD elements – who pays?
  • Water supply competition/issues
  • Integrated resource management
  • Using collaboration to improve farming practices and productivity.
  • Further fragmentation of Area 7.

2050 Vision:

  • Electric cars and boats
  • No helicopters
  • Algae water recycling
  • Bioenergy resources
  • Public transport throughout the region
  • Precision farming agriculture
  • Local manufacturing
  • Closed loop waste cycle
  • Areas of Native Title appropriately recognised
  • Indigenous Land Management
  • Everyone a citizen scientist
  • Total water cycle management
  • Continued RAMSAR status
  • Shorebird populations returned to pre-development levels
  • Healthy dugong populations
  • More oyster reef restorations
  • Returned oyster populations
  • Predominantly natural environment and amenity.