- Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) is progressing reforms for the Noosa River to increase safety and improve environmental impacts and the overall amenity of the river.
- Stage 1 of the reforms was the introduction of new 6 knots speed zones in certain areas of the river in September 2023.
- The next steps are reforms that will be implemented in stages over the next 15 months including the issuing of 'notices to comply', removal of derelict or abandoned vessels and the establishment of further "no anchoring zones".
- MSQ is committed to supporting the community while these reforms are put in place - vulnerable community members will be supported through relevant agencies and outreach programs.
Following extensive stakeholder and community consultation since 2021, Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) is continuing to implement a suite of marine safety and pollution reforms for the Noosa River that commenced in September 2023.
The first stage saw a series of speed limitations introduced in the river. These were very successful, with good feedback from the community over the summer months.
MSQ will now move to the next stage of the reform process by issuing 'notices to comply' to owners of vessels that were identified as non-compliant in audits MSQ completed in the leadup to implementing the reforms.
In Stage 3, vessels that do not comply, or that are unseaworthy and abandoned, will be required to be removed from the river between May and August 2024.
Stage 4 of the program, commencing in July 2024, will see a 'no anchoring' area established for all vessels and applied to:
- 60m from the busy southern shore of Noosa River from Noosa Sound to the entrance to Lake Doonella
- across Noosa Sound and up to Woods Bay
- the "dog beach" area, south of the river entrance.
Vessels will be able to access the shoreline to set down and pick up passengers or to access restaurants and other popular areas on land, as long as they comply with the speed limits for this area, and do not anchor or cause obstructions or navigation hazards to other waterway users.
Stage 5, starting in October 2024, will see MSQ create a "no anchoring" area for unoccupied vessels over five metres in length, for a host of safety reasons.
The final Stage 6 will see a 28-day anchoring restriction introduced for Noosa waterways, commencing in March 2025, with a designated implementation period for vessel owners to comply by June 2025.
Education and communication with the public is a priority for MSQ as the process of implementing the reforms is progressed.
The changes are being introduced after MSQ undertook a consultative approach to address community concerns regarding safety, amenity and pollution of Noosa River. This included the formation of a stakeholder advisory group known as the Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee (NRSAC).
The NRSAC was co-chaired by MSQ and Noosa Shire Council and involved a broad range of community and business stakeholders who worked to provide recommendations for proposed reforms to improve management of the river.
MSQ took an agreed program of initiatives to formal public consultation during December 2022 to February 2023 and specifically sought feedback on the proposed anchoring and speed limit changes for the river.
A 6 knots speed limit was introduced for the most heavily-used southern shores of the river in September 2023, and MSQ received positive community feedback on the first stage of the Noosa River safety initiatives.
