Maroochy River Golf Club, landowner battle high salinity issues on land

The decision to open a drain and let saltwater flow through has led to the death of turf at a major Sunshine Coast golf club and is rapidly shattering a landholder’s retirement dreams.

Maroochy River Golf Club course superintendent Stuart Campbell has detailed instances of turf death on the club course due to salinity from a drain opened to let in saltwater. Picture: Letea Cavander

A Sunshine Coast golf club is fighting fairway turf death due to increasing salinity after a nearby drain was opened, letting in saltwater.

A landowner has also claimed the decision to open the drain is wrecking the usable land on her property and destroying her retirement dreams.

The land is within the Blue Heart environment project zone.

The Maroochy River Golf Club must undertake regular water testing as part of its conditions to open on the David Low Way in Bli Bli.

Increasing salinity in the surface water was measured in December last year.

The February water quality monitoring report stated the change was likely because of the removal of “no return flaps” on Cook Rd drains in 2020.

The Maroochy River Golf Club in 2021. Picture: supplied.

Cane farmers built drains throughout the Sunshine Coast that allowed fresh water to move into waterways including the Maroochy River.

The drains have gates or “flaps” on them that stop saltwater from flowing into them.

The infrastructure is owned by the state government, with the management of the Cook Rd drain subcontracted to the Sunshine Coast Council.

Golf club course superintendent Stuart Campbell grew the turf when the club was controversially moved from Maroochydore in 2015 and has worked there since.

“Obviously there’s some underground aquifers at lower points and closer to the river have definitely got bigger and we’ve seen turf grass decline in those areas, and some turf grass death as well,” he said.

“I’ve been pushing to get them (the flaps) reinstated.”

He said there was no consultation with the club before the gates were removed.

Maroochy River Golf Club. Picture: Supplied.

He also said the gates may have been removed to allow floodwater to move off David Low Way but he was never given an official reason for the decision.

The superintendent said it was difficult “to put a monetary figure” on fixing the course due to the salinity issues.

“Definitely more resources have been put into those particular fairways that border the Maroochy River or where saltwater does come in,” he said.

Club general manager Nigel Gibson said the drain gates must be reinstalled and the drains cleared to alleviate the problem and before the salinity spreads throughout the course via the interconnected lake system and irrigation water.

The club, which is in the Blue Heart zone, met with the Sunshine Coast Council over the issue on March 8.

The Blue Heart project encompasses 5000ha of agricultural land and flood plain north of the Maroochy River.

The initiative aims to ensure flood storage on the Maroochy River flood plain and is also a blue carbon pilot project.

Mr Gibson said there were concerns about the project.

“There needs to be a little more investigation into it, certainly,” he said.

“It needs to be placed on hold, the questions raised need to be answered.”

On Cook Rd, Bernadette Surveson wiped tears from her face as she detailed the rapid decline in her 6.8ha property over the past three months.

Bernadette Surveson shows the water pockets forming on her property on Cook Rd. Picture: Letea Cavander

The 61-year-old said because the council had also not maintained a human-made drain that connected to the main Cook Rd drain, saltwater was not only coming in but also taking longer to drain away and was waterlogging her and her neighbour’s property.

She said water-laden holes or pockets had appeared on 1.2ha of the part of her property not covered with bush and it was killing grass.

A house pad had also visibly sunk on one side and she had spent much time patching corroded concrete on existing former transmitter structures that she had hoped to use.

Bernadette Surveson shows corrosion on concrete pillars on her property. Picture: Letea Cavander

“I was looking at the plans only a couple of days before the Blue Heart meeting at the golf course,” she said.

“But whatever’s going on with this Blue Heart, I’ve obviously decided to put everything on hold.

“The quality of my land is deteriorating on a daily basis.”

Ms Surveson said the shed she lived in was “flood-resilient” with polished concrete floors, raised power outlets and fibro sheeting and marine ply used in the structure in case of floodwater inundation.

She said her insurance included flood protection when she moved onto the property but when she phoned in December last year to renew her insurance, the company stated she would not be covered for flood.

She moved in about 15 months ago and had paid more than $1m for her property.

Ms Surveson said there was no consultation with her neighbours before the gates were removed from the Cook Rd drain.

The Sunshine Coast Council and the state government have been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Maroochy River Golf Club, landowner battle high salinity issues on land