Noosa River declared Fish Habitat Area

Location and plan number

  • Parts of Noosa River, Weyba Creek and associated lake systems, adjacent to Tewantin and Noosa
  • Plan number: FHA-051 (Revision 2)
  • Noosa Shire Council

Size and management level

Total size: 6,074 ha:

  • 5,974 ha – Management A
  • 100 ha – Management B.

Declaration history

  • 16 March 1974: Original declarations of Noosa and Weyba reserves.
  • 19 November 1983: Original declaration Lake Doonella Reserve.
  • 21 September 2001: Redeclaration:
    • combine Noosa, Weyba and Lake Doonella Fish Habitat Areas.
  • 19 December 2003: Redeclaration:
    • address management issues.
  • 28 March 2008: Redeclaration:
    • address management issues identified in the Noosa River Plan.

Management features

  • Fish and crustacean nursery.
  • Limited habitat modification (runnels) for mosquito control.
  • Intensive urban development of adjacent land.

Habitat values

  • Mangrove communities (dominated by Avicennia and Rhizophora, with Bruguiera also present along estuarine waterways)
  • Scattered saltmarshes
  • Occasional claypans
  • Extensive seagrass beds (Zostera and Halophila)
  • Significant freshwater section
  • River system connecting wide, shallow, sandy lakes subject to limited tidal exchange.

Fisheries values

  • Protection and habitat management for estuarine commercial, recreational and Indigenous fisheries, including a prawn fishery.
  • Species:
    • Australian bass
    • Bream
    • Blue salmon
    • Estuary cod
    • Flathead
    • Garfish
    • Jewfish
    • Luderick
    • Mangrove jack
    • Sea mullet
    • Tailor
    • Whiting
    • Mud crabs
    • Sand crabs
    • School prawns
    • Greasyback prawns
    • Bay prawns
    • Eastern king prawns.

Unique features

  • Unique among Queensland estuaries with a transition from freshwater to hypersaline waters in the lakes.
  • Largest riverine seagrass beds in south-east Queensland.
  • Coastal lowlands of the Cooloola region provide habitat for the endangered Honey blue-eye (Pseudomugil mellis) and Oxleyan pygmy perch (Nannoperca oxleyana).
  • Southern limit of Club mangrove (Aegialitis annulata).

Other values

  • Habitats support tourism (e.g. kayaking, canoeing and boat cruises).