FIGHTING FOR THE WALLUM - Vivien Griffin (a brief account) - Fix The Jetpath - Noosa Shire ...

FIGHTING FOR THE WALLUM
        (a brief account)

       Vivien Griffin

Standing on the shoulders of
giants …
•   Arthur Harrold
•   Bill Huxley
•   Noel Playford
•   Heather Melrose
•   Mark Ricketts
•   Many other individuals and
    organisations who supported these
    tireless stalwarts for the environment

There are so many examples, but this
presentation will touch on only 4
particular fights that helped form the
Noosa National Park we know today
(3000 hectares).
  •   Noosa National Park (Headland section)
  •   Marcus high dunes
  •   Sunshine Motorway
  •   Peregian Space Park

Noosa National Park
       1963

                      Additions to park
                        1964-1967

Land surrendered
    To Crown
      1979

In 1962, T.M. Burke commented on the goals of the Noosa Parks
Association as follows:

As a successful and Australia-wide land development company,
we ae not unaccustomed to being pecked at by the narrow-
minded, insular and negative-thinking type of individual who is
often to be found as the spokesman for the local Chamber of
Commerce, Progress Association Development League etc.

Usually achievement in the fields of commerce, progress and
development are the very ones conspicuous by their absence in
such organisations. But allow these people free use of
emotionally charged phrases like ‘danger to national park’,
‘threats including the construction of a motor road’, ‘alienation’
etc ad nauseum and rhyme and reason go into orbit.

Noosa National Park – headland section
This is a well known story, but would be remiss not to include, as we must never
take this jewel for granted.

A jigsaw puzzle that slowly came together due to the persistence of Arthur
Harrold and the Noosa Parks Association

In 1962, Noosa National Park was only 825 land-locked acres.

• The Esplanade – the-then Noosa Council wanted to build a road where the
  famous walking track is now protected – included in national park in 1964
  following a deputation from Arthur Harrold and NPA (+55 acres)
• In 1966, an application for a sand mining lease covering 70 acres of
  Alexandria Bay. Subsequently withdrawn at the last moment.
• Northern section of A Bay included in national park in 1967 (+ 50 acres)
• T.M. Burke – 4 freehold land parcels at southern end of Alexandria Bay –
  surrendered to the Crown in exchange for alternative land. Included in
  national park in 1979. National park now 1000 acres.
• In 1981 Council tried to alienate large portion of southern national park for
  circular road and car park but withdrew proposal following resident protests.

In 1982 the NPA found out
about a road and parking
area proposed by the
Noosa Council.

“The site chosen for the
car park (Point A on the
map) proved to be more
than a kilometre inside the
national park, not
marginally encroaching as
had been claimed. To
reach it, two single track
bitumen roads with a total
length of 2.3 kilometres,
were to be built along the
lines of the existing sand
tracks, and the car park
was to be situated on an
exposed ridge of heathland
fro which it would be
clearly visible in all
directions.”

1986
“Dr. Harrold said
the basic
proposal was to
provide a
continuous
greenbelt from
Noosa National
Park through to
the Peregian
Environmental
Park at Coolum
Beach”

(Note “proposed
highway” east of Lake
Weyba)

December1988

Lake Weyba
National Park
to be created
BUT
Uncertainty
over route of
Stage Two of
the Sunshine
Motorway.

One proposed
route to go
east of Lake
Weyba.

November 1988

Proposal by Mark
Ricketts from
SCEC for route to
west of Lake
Weyba

July 1989

SCEC launches campaign
against eastern route of
Motorway with a letter
box drop and public
meetings.

Motorway campaign gets a great ally!

January 1990

Playford
Council
surveys
residents on
preferred
motorway
options.

PEREGIAN SPACE PARK or
“The Big Rocket”
(NOW EMU SWAMP SECTION OF NOOSA NATIONAL PARK)

In 1990 TM Burke developed proposal for 420 acres of land including 100
acre theme park.

Massive tourist and residential development incorporating a huge artificial
lake, residential subdivisions, resort, motel, shopping, commercial. Theme
park was to have a space theme. Nicknamed “The Big Rocket”. Three
quarters of land in Maroochy, one quarter in Noosa Council.

Massive public campaign spearheaded by SCEC and NPA. Noosa opposed
it, Maroochy deferred decision to then Environment Minister, Pat Comben,
government eventually bought the land and declared as a national park.

“A space theme park with its own
life-size shuttle has been proposed
as part of a huge tourist and
residential development at Peregian
Beach…

The development would incorporate
lakes, parks, housing, units, a
holiday resort village, motels, a
shopping centre, commercial
buildings, and a high tech park…

A spokesman for the developers
said they believed that the project
could be carried out in an
environmentally sensitive manner.

THE BATTLE FOR EMU SWAMP SCD 20.6.91
“But the meeting only highlighted the gulf between developer
and greenie over the issue.

The battle is between hundreds of millions of dollars of
investment, and the future of a green corridor on the
Sunshine Coast.

“The battle lines have been drawn,” said Mr. Wallis as he
walked away from yesterday’s meeting.”

“T.M. Burke General Manager Noel Wallis dismissed the objection, claiming the
company “always knew Mr. Comben was against” the development. His attitude
was predictable. He made it quite clear that, because he was a bird watcher, he
was against it.”

14 December
                                                                  1993, Heather
                                                                  Melrose at
                                                                  declaration of
                                                                  Emu Swamp
                                                                  section of Noosa
                                                                  National Park.

“Today marks the culmination of a short but fierce battle – the battle to save Emu
Swamp. For two and a half years the battle raged in the local media. Ths was not
just a conservation battle – it was a battle to save the lifestyle of Peregian.

From the time the headlines shrieked “Space Park set to Lift Off”, the lines were
drawn. Opponents of the space theme park labelled it “The Big Rocket”. Proponents
concentrated their attack on the presence of ground parrots and tried to trivialise
the whole issue.”

500 hectare
Weyba National
Park declared in
1991 and
connected to
Noosa National
Park via a
corridor of land
donated by
Noosa Shire
Council
(Playford
Council)

MARCUS HIGH DUNES
“MARCUS SHORES”
140 acres of high dune heathland, Castaways
Creek to the north, Marcus Creek to the
south.

1991 rezoning proposal by T.M. Burke was
for
• Residential (including retirement village)
• Shopping centre
• Motel
• Service station
• Resort hotel

Council refused the application, and in 1992
prepared a Master Plan for this and other
T.M. Burke leasehold land. Proposal would
have allowed some development over 40%
of site.

MARCUS HIGH
  DUNES

STOP (Save Today our Parkland), SCEC, QWPS,
QCC, Threatened Species Network all
campaigned for zero development.

In 1994 Council prepared a draft DCP
(Development Control Plan) that proposed zero
development on the Marcus high dune site.

Vigorous debate in the community, STOP and
NPA organised a rally, called “High Noon for the
High Dunes” on 28 August 1994.

Goss government wary about
compensation claims but
approved the DCP in 1995.

T.M. Burke took the Council to
court, but settled claim in return
for compensation.

In 2001 the Marcus high dunes
were added to the national park
corridor.

September 2001. Additions to national park included 15 parcels
of land totalling 280 hectares at Noosa National Park, including
land surrendered from a proposed motorway along the eastern
shore of Lake Weyba, the Marcus high dune, 94 hectares south-
west of Lake Weyba and 60 hectares at Emu Mountain.

And so, over the decades from 1964 to 2001,
due to the efforts of outstanding individuals
and communities, the jewel that is
now the Noosa National Park was formed.

Arthur Harrold
   1918-2012

Noosa thanks you
for your enormous
legacy

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Nancy Cato, The Noosa Story: A study in unplanned
development, 1989

Denise Edwards, Country and Coast: A History of the
development of the Noosa Shire, 2001

SCEC Eco Echo

Arthur Harrold, The Noosa National Park: Behind the Scenes,
1982

Noosa Library newspaper archives
Sunshine Coast Library archives

Tony Wellington, Noosa and Cooloola: Celebrating 50 years of
Noosa Parks Association

THANK YOU

QUESTIONS?