Sunshine Coast Blue Heart
Council would like to provide some clarifying information for our community about the Blue Heart, including the need for this project, flood insurance and landowners’ use rights.
The aims of the Blue Heart project
Council is planning ahead for future challenges such as increased rainfall, flooding and permanent sea level rise. In doing so, council is taking action now to help manage the risk to people, assets and services associated with climate change and severe weather events.
The Blue Heart is approximately 5,000 hectares in size and takes in a large area of natural floodplain and some small areas of residual land in the lower Maroochy River catchment.
Blue Heart partners (Sunshine Coast Council, the State Government and Unitywater) are working to:
- protect the most critical areas of the floodplain
- establish wetland and floodplain ecosystems
- improve water quality in the Maroochy River
- provide community and recreation opportunities
- investigate and support new uses for the surrounding rural and agricultural lands, including economic opportunities for landowners.
This includes investigations into blue carbon farming, which involves sequestering carbon in mangroves and salt marshes. This could become an alternative source of income for Blue Heart landholders in the future, should they wish to pursue this opportunity. Participation by private landowners in any blue carbon farming projects is always entirely voluntary and a decision for the individual landowner.
Blue Heart project area
