Rivers & Creeks

The Noosa River is one of three river catchments located within or partly within the Noosa Shire Council area.

The Noosa River flows south from the Cooloola Section of the Great Sandy National Park into Laguna Bay. It is fed by springs that drain major sand deposits and is one of the few Queensland Rivers with a continuous year-round freshwater inflow.

A number of the Mary River tributaries are located in the hinterland regions of Noosa Shire. Six Mile Creek is the largest of these and Lake Macdonald is the impounded reservoir of the Six Mile Creek Dam, which forms part of South East Queensland's drinking water supply. These creeks flow into the Mary River and north to Hervey Bay.

Tributaries of the Maroochy River catchment are found in the southern parts of the Shire near Lake Weyba. These are the headwaters of Doonan Creek and the northern arm of Stumers Creek. Both these creeks flow south from the Noosa border.

The Draft Noosa River Plan

The Noosa River Plan is Council’s key strategic document on maintaining the health of the Noosa River. There are many different agencies involved in the management of the Noosa River and some elements within the plan are within Council’s direct control, while for others Council takes an advocacy role on behalf of the local community.

In 2017, Council endorsed a review and update of the previous Noosa River Plan (2004) and a new Draft Noosa River Plan, incorporating a whole of catchment approach to managing the Noosa River system, has been developed. Public consultation on this new Draft Plan occurred in December 2019/January 2020.

This new Draft River Plan is not yet endorsed by Noosa Council and is waiting on further community feedback before finalisation. A key input to this will be the newly developed Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee, in partnership with Maritime Safety Queensland, who will provide feedback on community priorities to inform the final version of the new Noosa River Plan.

Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee

The purpose of the Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee is to engage key community stakeholders to provide objective advice and recommendations towards the sustainable use conservation and management of the Noosa River and its catchment.

A Terms of Reference has been developed and we are currently seeking Expression of Interest for the membership of the Committee. Please fill out the EOI Form, save it, and email it back. Expressions of Interest are open until close of business Friday 5 March.

The committee membership will set the priorities on the river-related issues and will be a key driver in the both the finalisation and implementation of the River Plan.

By bringing Noosa Council together with Maritime Safety Queensland it is hoped that many of the concerns raised about the health and uses of the river will be able to be dealt with in one forum.

Where other Government and non-government agencies are required, they will either be invited to inform the Noosa River Stakeholder Advisory Committee as needed or alternative methods of communication will be set up to engage with them.

Statistics and Facts

• Noosa Shire Council area 869.8km2
• Noosa River catchment covers 63% of the Noosa Shire
• Mary River catchment covers 36%
• Maroochy River catchment covers 1%
• Map of the rivers and creeks within the Noosa Shire area

River and Creek Health

• Noosa River catchment
• Six Mile Creek [891KB]

More about Noosa River System

• Noosa Waterways Assessment Report
• Walking the Landscape – Noosa Catchment Story
• Noosa River Oyster Restoration Project
• Noosa River Marine Zones
• Noosa River’s migratory shorebirds [944KB]
• Map of shorebird feeding and roosting areas at the river mouth [2.4MB]
• Historical ecology of the Noosa Estuary Fisheries [2.4MB]
• Guidelines for Establishment of New Businesses on the Noosa River [27KB]

Management of the Noosa River