Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, 1999:  

" With significant growth projected for the majority of coastal local governments, urban development in the coastal zone is a major challenge. From 1991 to 1996, average growth rates of more than 4 percent per annum were experienced in several major coastal centres including the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast/Tweed and Cairns. Local governments along the coast face the challenge of accommodating rapid urbanisation and balancing demands associated with economic development, social wellbeing of the community and the maintenance of a healthy and sustainable environment. Increased development and population growth in coastal areas also place human life and property at risk from the effects of a number of hazards, including storm tides."

AND

"The fragility of the coastal environment is increasingly being recognised. The loss or degradation of coastal wetland ecosystems is a particularly important impact of coastal land use change. Only in remote areas have coastal wetlands been spared some degree of modification or loss."

AND

"The quality of water flowing into coastal waters is of increasing concern. Around major human settlements, domestic and industrial wastewater discharges contribute organic matter, nutrients, pathogenic organisms, heat, suspended solids and toxic compounds to coastal waters. Activities throughout catchments contribute further contaminants including pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, organic matter, nutrients and sediment. Impacts of nutrients and sediment on the Great Barrier Reef are of particular concern."

AND

"The quantity of water flowing into coastal waters is also under investigation: the need to account for environmental flows reflects general concerns about the impacts of reduced flows on the health and vitality of coastal ecosystems. The regulation of the flow of many waterways running into Queensland coastal waters has occurred since European settlement. The land–water interface is also sensitive to hydrological changes to groundwater flows."

AND

"The coast contains a diverse array of habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, foreshore dunes, coastal wetlands and lowland rainforests. While mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs have some statutory protection, terrestrial habitats and freshwater coastal wetlands, especially melaleuca stands, located on public and private lands do not have any significant protection. Current local government planning controls are often not sufficient to prevent clearing, drainage or degradation of these coastal habitats."

Citation and/or URL

Queensland Environmental Protection Agency 1999, Queensland's coast: managing its future: a position paper on coastal management in Queensland. Queensland Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Australia.

Spatial Coverage

Queensland coast

Temporal Coverage

1999

Update Frequency

Other Information

 None