Peregian Beach residents need to be aware of the threat of coastal erosion in the decades ahead and continue working with the local residents’ association, the PBCA, on appropriate mitigation measures.
That’s the message from Peregian Beach Community Association President, Marian Kroon, after Council modelling indicating the predicted risks from Climate Change through the rest of this century.
The local modelling shows public amenities in Peregian Park around the surf club will reach ‘medium risk’ of coastal erosion by 2040, and ‘high risk’ by 2070, while the backyards of some homes along the beachfront on Lorikeet Drive in South Peregian are also in the ‘low risk’ category.
Marian Kroon says the report underlines the high cost of replacing existing public infrastructure such as the picnic area, skatepark, and parking areas should they be damaged as a result of coastal erosion.
“Community feedback indicates that non-intrusive solutions, such as dune rehabilitation and mitigation, is the preferred course of action.”
She says “this is where proactive community groups like the PBCA come in. We have been working for many years to protect and strengthen our dunes and the vegetation that helps them remain intact.”
“No one is better placed than the local community”, she says, “to work on the ground with our Council and State Government to help manage this risk.”
Coastal erosion risk models
Climate Change 2040 model of coastal erosion risk. "medium risk" -(yellow) to public amenities around Peregian Park.
2070 Coastal erosion risk model: Peregian Park"high risk" (orange)
Peregian Beach South 2040: "low risk" (green) coastal erosion to backyards on the ocean side of Lorikeet Drive.
Excerpt from the draft Noosa Climate Change Adaptation Report.
Setting:
Peregian Beach is the southern-most township in Noosa Shire. The locality has a four-kilometre beach frontage with a vegetated dune area between the developed areas and the sea.
Peregian Beach maintains the scale and character and atmosphere of a village that provides local convenience shopping, business and employment services for residents and visitors within the locality.
Risks:
Peregian Beach has historically experienced erosion on beaches after strong swells and tropical storms with sand naturally replenishing through coastal processes such as longshore drift.
The low profile of the beach and dunes in some parts of the coastline mean some areas of the beach and dune foreshore are exposed to coastal erosion today, with an increasing number of others assets exposed to future coastal erosion over time.
The main assets at risk by mid-late century (2070 – 2100) in Peregian Beach are natural assets (beaches and vegetated dunes); beach accesses; Peregian Park and the various community and visitor recreation assets it contains (picnic tables, skate park, footpaths); and the backyards of a small number of residential lots at the very southern end of Peregian Beach.
The Peregian Beach Surf Life Saving Club itself is not expected to be directly impacted during a major erosion event, however operations are likely to be impaired due to damage to the park and beach accesses.
Impacts to these assets may also have indirect impacts on adjacent commercial and retail businesses.
A moderate amount of buried stormwater and sewage infrastructure is also likely to be at high risk by 2100, along some streets south of Peregian Park. Victory Park carpark and amenities block is also likely to be impacted.
ABOVE: modelling showing the threat of erosion creeping inland (during major storm events) in Peregian Park from the present to 2040, 2070 and 2100.