The private lease site is located on a low, narrow sand ridge separating the Noosa River from Internationally significant patterned fens.

 

Consulting wetland and ecology experts considered a number of site options in this vicinity. They found this specific site to be the one at most risk of generating impact. Regardless of this expert advice this site was chosen because of its 'scenic value'.

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To access this 'scenic value' the planners are adding 800metres of extra walking. Yet the same planners say a lower impact site option at Poona Lake is not feasible because it adds 6-700metres of extra walking. Very evidently the priority is tourism, Parks values are secondary, and the supporting reasoning is kept flexible to achieve that.

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This site location requires construction along the narrow sand ridge of over 400metres of roadway for service truck access. This would follow the existing Noosa River Trail, destroying its amenity to current users and providing a vector path for erosion and pathogen delivery into this fragile area.

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The potential for severe impact to this site and its surrounds from additional fire, and from fire risk management, would be substantial if not inevitable.

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Other available sites are close to existing vehicle tracks, are not invasive upon sensitive landscape, and require less walking to access. 

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Clients of this glamour product will be delivered to this start point near Campsite 3 by a quite large ferry up the Noosa River. They will need to disembark at one of the two jetties now in place for existing users. These two jetties are regularly obstructed with moored vessels. How then do the tour operators ensure access to suit their commercial schedule? Either one of the existing jetties will be taken from public access, or another jetty will be constructed. The latter option would most likely occur adjacent to the selected development site.

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Neither of these inevitable options are part of the 'community information package' provided by Government. It appears as another hidden strategy.