Point Cartwright master plan: Petition tabled calling for rezoning of popular reserve

A petition urging the Sunshine Coast Council to rezone one of the region’s best-loved recreation areas has been tabled. Read what’s being called for here.

A push is on to turn one of the Sunshine Coast’s most well-loved recreation areas into a protected environmental zone.

A 1600-strong petition was tabled to the Sunshine Coast Council at its September ordinary meeting on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, urging the council to preserve Point Cartwright’s natural and free-form and keep it free from development.

The petition tabled by Division 4 Councillor Joe Natoli on behalf of Point Cartwright Care Group Inc had 1604 signatures and more pages were still being filled out.

It comes as the council undertakes its Point Cartwright Reserve and La Balsa Park Master Plan process.

The process seeks to lay out a blueprint for the area for the next decade.

Point Cartwright

As part of the early consultation processes more than 2500 online survey submissions were made and more than 800 signatures on a submission calling on the council to retain the dog areas.

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday Mr Natoli said the petition was urging council to rezone the area to environmental and conservation zone to safeguard its long list of natural attributes.

Mr Natoli said the community had taken a great interest in the master plan process and he expected the petition could gather tens of thousands of supporters if it were to be taken outside of the Buddina area it had so far canvassed.

He said the group was seeking to bring the area back to “something like what it was pre-white settlement” and he hoped the petition would be handed up for consideration as part of the master plan process.

Members of the Point Cartwright Care Group Inc meet with Division 4 Councillor Joe Natoli.

In its 100-plus page submission to the master plan process the Point Cartwright Care Group recommended the council advocate to the state government to combine the parcel into one allotment and rezone the land.

It also called for a designation of the reserve as a ‘Dark Sky’ site “to promote and encourage a range of nocturnal fauna and turtle nesting activities”.

The area’s cultural significance to the local Indigenous community as well as its value as an endangered littoral rainforest were key pillars of the arguments for the preservation of the area.

Tension has been increasing over recent months over the future of the site, particularly around how recreation and dog ownership can align with protection of the environmental assets of the reserve.

Vivienne Williams gained almost 1000 signatures from dog owners who want La Balsa Park and Point Cartwright Reserve to continue to be a dog friendly area. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A spate of recent reported dog poisonings in the area had proved a flashpoint in what was becoming a turf war of sorts over the area.

Point Cartwright Care Group Inc president Quentin Brown said the group was fully supportive of more dog parks, just not in areas where there were “intrinsic environmental values” like Point Cartwright Reserve.

He urged the council to come up with a solution for both dog owners and the environment.

Councillor Peter Cox was the only councillor to vote in opposition of receiving the petition at Wednesday’s meeting.

Originally published as Point Cartwright master plan: Petition tabled calling for rezoning of popular reserve