A new Foreshore Access Strategy for Redlands is being prepared and the Council wants community input – by 6 September 2026.
“Coastal erosion, inundation and sea level rise, together with the need to maintain and renew foreshore access infrastructure, require a fit-
for-purpose, transparent, and consistent framework to guide future foreshore-related decisions” says the Council in its strategy directions paper.
To have your say, you can visit a Council webpage Shaping coastal connections where you can:
- Complete the short Coastal Connections Survey
- Say how you use the Redlands Coast beaches and foreshores with brief comments on an Interactive map.
You can also have your say be emailing a submission to the Council at rcc@redland.qld.gov.au
General comments by Redlands2030
The proposed Strategy appears focused primarily on physical access to, and physical use of, the City’s foreshore areas. While important, this approach is too narrow. A more comprehensive Strategy should establish a broader understanding of what Redland foreshores are, the values they provide, how the community uses and appreciates them, and the public benefits arising from those uses.
In particular, the Strategy should distinguish between active and passive use. Walking, fishing, boating and other recreational activities are readily identifiable, but picnicking, birdwatching, observing nature, enjoying scenic amenity, studying the coast, beach walking and simply experiencing the coastal environment are equally important contributors to community wellbeing.
The full range of foreshore values contributes significantly to the liveability, lifestyle and quality of life of Redlanders and should be recognised before decisions are made about access, infrastructure or development.
Broaden the definition and inventory of foreshores
Foreshores are not simply beaches or places where people can physically access the water. The Strategy should provide a broader description and inventory encompassing:
- Mangroves and saltmarsh
- Salt pans and clay pans
- Sand spits and beaches
- Tidal flats and creeks
- Seagrass meadows
- Ferry terminals and boat launching facilities
- Riparian and riverine vegetation
- Other areas where terrestrial and marine ecosystems intersect.
This would ensure the Strategy captures the environmental, recreational, cultural, scenic and social values of Redland foreshores.
It should also consider the integration of foreshore management with water quality, catchment management and riparian vegetation, recognising that foreshore health cannot be considered in isolation from the waterways and catchments feeding Moreton Bay.
Community use of foreshore areas
The proposed strategy’s focus on outdoor recreation is a useful starting point but does not adequately describe how residents value and use foreshores.
The Strategy should specifically recognise passive activities including picnicking, walking, birdwatching, observing wildlife, nature study, environmental education, photography, enjoying views and scenic amenity, and simply connecting with the coastal environment.
These activities may require little or no infrastructure but provide substantial public benefit and wellbeing value. Foreshore access should therefore be assessed not simply by measuring participation in activities, but also by considering the quality of the experience, environmental setting and broader community benefit.
Environmental impacts of access
The Strategy should acknowledge that increased physical access does not necessarily equate to increased public benefit. Potential impacts include:
- Artificial lighting and noise
- Rubbish, plastics and marine litter
- Abandoned fishing lines and fishing debris
- Four-wheel-drive vehicle impacts
- Disturbance of wildlife and sensitive habitats e.g. from off-leash dogs chasing shorebirds
- Impacts on historic wrecks and other coastal heritage.
Cumulative impacts can progressively degrade the environmental and amenity values of foreshore areas. The Strategy should therefore incorporate appropriate mitigation, monitoring and management, recognising that protecting foreshore values may sometimes require limiting or carefully managing particular forms of access.
Intrinsic and ecosystem-service values of foreshore areas
The Strategy should give greater recognition to the in-situ values of foreshore ecosystems, rather than viewing them primarily as locations for human activity.
Mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass and associated ecosystems provide important services including habitat and biodiversity protection, carbon storage and shoreline protection.
Their role as bluecarbon ecosystems and nature-based solutions for climate-change mitigation and adaptation should be recognised.
These are public benefits in their own right and should inform decisions about access infrastructure and foreshore use.
Scenic amenity of foreshore areas
The scenic amenity value of Redland’s coast appears significantly under-represented.
The interface between land and water is a defining characteristic of Redland City and contributes substantially to its identity, attractiveness, liveability and quality of life.
Previous South East Queensland Regional Plan work included scenic amenity mapping, with Redland City involved as a pilot area. Those mapping results should be revisited and incorporated into the Strategy.
Scenic amenity is a public asset that can be diminished by inappropriate structures, excessive infrastructure, vegetation removal, lighting, vehicle access and poorly located development.
Celebrate national, State and cultural attributes
The Strategy should recognise and promote the national, State and cultural significance of foreshore areas through appropriate signage and education materials.
Examples include the Moreton Bay Marine Park, Moreton Bay Ramsar Site, habitats of threatened species and other matters of National Environmental Significance, and areas of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural heritage.
Better interpretation would improve community understanding and appreciation of these values and reinforce the importance of responsible foreshore use.
Previous community consultation
Council should utilise an important contemporary source of community views, the submissions to the Environmental Impact Statement for the Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area.
This represents an extraordinary body of public consultation concerning Moreton Bay and its foreshore environments.
Many submissions addressed foreshore use, access, environmental protection, amenity, recreation and management.
Council should assess this material and identify recurring themes and community expectations.
It may provide valuable evidence of what the community considers important and demonstrate that some previous approaches to foreshore development were not aligned with community expectations.
Conclusion
The Foreshore Access Strategy should be more than a plan for where people can go and what infrastructure they can use.
It should establish a comprehensive understanding of the environmental, social, recreational, scenic, cultural and wellbeing values of Redland’s foreshores, and determine how appropriate access can be provided while protecting those values.
The greatest public benefit may sometimes come not from increasing physical access, but from protecting the environmental and amenity qualities that make a foreshore worth visiting in the first place.
Redland’s foreshores are a finite public asset whose value extends well beyond their immediate recreational use. The Strategy should balance access with protection and ensure these values are retained for future generations.