Keep Australia Beautiful Clean Beaches Nomination 2013Currumbin Beach, Queensland

“just far enough away”

Since the founding days in the late 1800s, being “just far enough away” has enabled Currumbin to keep the coastal character that first attracted founding families and tourists. Today, although a popular beach destination for all, the community and many ‘Friends of’ Currumbin Beach must be acknowledged for their passion and commitment to conserve the coastal culture.

The City of Gold Coast for their daily commitment, innovative management strategies and on-going support for coastal community engagement and education.

Griffith Centre for Coastal Management for their ability to link the community and local businesses with City projects and drive partnerships research and sustainable coastal management.

A special thanks to Friends of Currumbin for their long-term presence in the community to keep Currumbin Beach the Cleanest!

As well as, Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club, Currumbin RSL, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Currumbin VMR, SWELL Sculpture Festival, Gold Coast Surf World and Gecko: Gold Coast Hinterland Environmental Council. Together, all have established partnerships that benefit the health and sustainability of Currumbin Beach. Also, The Ecovillage who work with many partners to enhance the health of Currumbin Valley.

Keep Australia Beautiful Clean Beaches competition has once again reminded the Gold Coast community why the local beaches are not only one of Australia’s famous beach destinations but also the Cleanest.

Together, partnerships enabled the crowning of Queensland’s Cleanest Beach and now potentially, Australia’s Cleanest Beach. This nomination celebrates the heritage, cultural, social and environmental values of Currumbin Beach.

With thanks, The Coastal Community Engagement Program: BeachCareGriffith Centre for Coastal Management, Griffith University

Acknowledgements

Stakeholders

In partnership with

Cover photo supplied by the City of Gold Coast

Contents

Acknowledgements 001

A poem: Currumbin Beach 003

Currumbin Beach 003

Community Action and Partnerships 005

Young Legends 006

Litter Prevention 007

Heritage and Culture 007

Resource Recovery and Waste Management 009

Environmental Innovation and Protection 010

Water Conservation 011

Energy Innovation 011

This submission was prepared by Griffith Centre for Coastal Management for Keep Australia Beautiful’s Clean Beaches competition. For more information about this nomination or if

you would like to get involved please contact the Centre.

gccm@griffith.edu.au I 07 5552 8506 griffith.edu.au/coastal-management

Keep Australia Beautiful’s Clean Beaches competition recognises the importance of clean beaches. Centralised around the pivotal elements of coastal sustainability, the competition celebrates the young and not so young, to the innovative strategies implemented to minimise coastal impacts. Further, the heritage and culture that create coastal character and shapes coastal communities.

There are 8 categories to address, including:1. Community Action and Partnerships2. Young Legends3. Heritage and Culture4. Litter Prevention5. Resource Recovery and Waste Management6. Environmental Innovation and Protection 7. Water Conservation8. Energy Innovation

The City of Gold Coast understands that there is no ‘I’ in a clean beach. Therefore, the development of partnerships on the beach is essential to achieve a Cleanest Beach award.

For more information on the Clean Beaches competition, please visit kab.org.au/clean-beaches.

Clean Beaches

Photo supplied by Currumbin Vikings SLSC

Just far enough away, Currumbin Beach is known for the beach-village vibe, sandy beaches, ocean beaches, calm waters, mangroves, internationally recognised surf break, as well as boating, fishing and surf club activities. There is something for everyone and a lot to be loved by the many ‘friends’ of Currumbin Beach.

Interestingly, the word Currumbin is of Aboriginal origin and means quicksand. An obstacle that once caused concern with creek crossings in the late 19th century. Currumbin Creek is strongly influenced by the dynamics of the coastal zone with tidal flushing and the movement of coastal sands. The creek is shaped by catchment processes upstream, with the headwaters starting at Mt Cougal National Park and the McPherson Range in the west. Catchment to coastal processes, as well as the legacy of coastal development and associated usage has also shaped Currumbin Beach.

Along the beachfront there is Flat Rock Creek to south, Elephant Rock nestled in the middle and Currumbin Rock at the mouth of Currumbin Creek. The geography is of particular character, especially the elevated, green backdrop enabling million-dollar vistas of the Gold Coast. Prominent features that support the natural vegetation with steep hillsides contrast with adjacent beaches of Tugun and Palm Beach.

The uniqueness of Currumbin Beach also extends to characters of the community and in particular those involved in ensuring it is the cleanest. This involves the strong partnerships between the City of Gold Coast, the community, local businesses and environmental organisations. Fortunately, this has conserved Currumbin Beach to be the same tomorrow as it is today.

There’s a little piece of heavenon the east Australian coastIt’s the place where angels swim at...or so the locals boast.Mother Nature got it startedthen the Vikings came to teach. This tiny piece of Paradise is called Currumbin Beach.

When the tide is fairly risingand the waves lap Elephant RockWe often gaze and wonderif there’s any more in stock. As we watch the waves a-curlingand go dancing to their reachWe realise how it is to be on Currumbin Beach.

There’s a lot of friendly peoplewho’ll greet you with a smileAnd a bunch of golden oldies who’ve been ‘round for quite a while.When you ask what their secret isthey’ll just smile at you and sayit’s the champagne-textured waterand it’s just far enough away.

When I go to meet my makerand I’m answering the roll If I chance to meet Saint PeterI’ll ask his blessings for my soul. And if he opens up the pearly gatesand says “it’s all within your reach”Then I’ll tell him most politely...I’d prefer Currumbin Beach.

‘Bondi’ Jack Lillis7th August, 1998

Currumbin Beach

“the same tomorrow as it is today”

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Photo supplied by the City of Gold Coast

Currumbin Beach has an extremely strong and well-connected community. There have been many new and ongoing projects at Currumbin Beach, including:

• Friends of Currumbin’s active lobbying for community beautification, presentation and pride: e.g. landscape plantings in parks, catchment, dune and beach restoration, general maintenance, fencing issues, beach access awareness, community sponsorships• Friends of Currumbin – BeachCare partnership: dune restoration and beach maintenance activities, coast care education outreach to other groups, educational institutions and local businesses• Griffith Centre for Coastal Management – Coastal Community Engagement Program (CoastEd and BeachCare) – school and community-based education and community-partnership coast care activities• National Surfing Reserves dedication – symbolically dedicated Currumbin Rock as part of Gold Coast’s Point Breaks National Surfing Reserves• Bleach Festival – Bleach* Surfing The Fringe celebrated all art forms kissed by the ocean, encrusted in salt and bleached by the sun• Currumbin Vikings Surf Life Saving Club community activities• Currumbin Vikings SLSC ‘green’ waste partnership with the Currumbin RSL• Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary’s partnership support for community programs and dedication to wildlife conservation• Currumbin RSL Community Connect program• SWELL Sculpture Festival – inspires, amuses, uplifts and captures the hearts and minds of all who visit the 10 day outdoor sculpture exhibition• Currumbin Alley Boardriders club activities – e.g. Alley Classic and Fish Fry• Gold Coast Community Catchment Crawl – SEQ Catchment funded community networking event to raise awareness of natural resource management activities on the Gold Coast

Without the City of Gold Coast’s support for the all the above projects, they would not have been possible and more so successful. A coordinated approach through various council departments, such as the local division office, engineering services, community development, environment and planning, as well as other community engagement focused programs.

Community Action and Partnerships: Recognises achievement in community beautification, presentation, health, wellbeing and pride. Also recognises partnerships between government, business, industry and local community networks.

“a well-connected community”

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Photo supplied by City of Gold Coast

Young Legends: Recognises positive environmental outcomes which encourage and pro-mote youth initiative and environmental education and/or achievement.

• Griffth Centre for Coastal Management - Coastal Community Engagement Program to encourage youth involvement in caring for Currumbin Beach CoastEd - school and community based education program Beachology - beach ecology education sessions at community events and schools BeachCare - coastal community activities in cleaning up the beach, facilitation of dune care and Clean Beaches nominations Internship program - development of an Environmental Management Plan for Currumbin Vikings SLSC

• Griffith University’s Student Linx program, which connects students to the local community

• Bond University’s Philanthropic program, which support current community projects

• Friends of Currumbin’s leadership: hosted a TRADE College over an eight week period that encouraged and promoted coast care activities

• Local Boardriders Club’s involvement in educational awareness about healthy living through surfing

• Gecko Gold Coast and Hinterland Council’s GeckoEd program - for example, involvement with Palm Beach Currumbin High School to encourage marine debris impacts on local wildlife, and Eco-Explorers Holiday Education

• Local school children involvement at the SWELL festival – school education workshops and community youth leadership promotion

• Eco-kids programs at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary – promotion of environmental awareness, protection of native flora and fauna and conservation values

• Currumbin RSL Community Connect programs - engagement with local and regional schools about food sustainability

•Currumbin Vikings SLSC - long-term presence in the community and active involvement in beach activities, healthy living and stewardship of environmental management

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Photo supplied by GeckoEd Photo supplied by SWELL Sculpture Festival

There is a strong sense of heritage and culture along Currumbin Beach, in particular, Pacific Parade - the ocean foreshore of Currumbin Beach - and the adjacent Currumbin Hill. The weatherboard beach shacks, The Currumbin Alley Boardriders Club House, Currumbin Vikings SLSC, the Gold Coast Surf World museum, heritage listed Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, local cafes and surf shops.

Major projects in the last year include:• Dedication of Currumbin Rock as part of the Gold Coast Point Break’s National Surfing Reserve and the production of a community publication about the surf break• Celebration of local art, heritage and culture at the Bleach Festival and SWELL Sculpture Festival• Symbolic projective art on Elephant Rock• Art coverage over Currumbin Rock• Friends of Currumbin information and awareness support in all Currumbin-focused projects• Gold Coast Surf World museum information nights and support for the Bleach Festival• Currumbin Vikings SLSC and Currumbin RSL Anzac celebrations, amongst much more!

Heritage and Culture: Recognises communities which proudly preserve and value cultural.

Awareness is a centralised focused in keeping Currumbin Beach litter free; projects and programs include:

• City of Gold Coast’s daily beach and park maintenance – beach sweepers, park maintenance and dune litter pick-ups

• City of Gold Coast’s Wipe Out Waste school education program

• The Ecovillage resource and waste management initiative

• Friends of Currumbin’s successful youth program held over an eight week period included litter collections and

auditing

• BeachCare implemented a national marine debris auditing program

• CoastEd and GeckoEd school education awareness activities at local schools

• Yeskandoo’s innovative strategies to reduce the use of single-use plastics

• Additional bins in adjacent parks and for special events

• A beach litter inspired art sculpture to be included in the 2012 SWELL Sculpture festival (see photo)

• Media coverage to encourage people to join the local BeachCare group to help keep the beach clean!

“strong sense of heritage and beach culture”

007

Litter Prevention: Recognises community litter management, reduction and education initiatives.

“Can’t Sea Through This” by Elysium Greene and Naomi Edwards

Resource Recovery and Waste Management: Recognises achievement in resource recovery and waste management including initiatives which conserve resources, recover and reuse materials and the appropriate disposal of non-recyclable materials.

• Griffith Centre for Coastal Management hosted a Griffith University student to investigate, audit and provide recommendations to Currumbin Vikings SLSC on how to improve resource recovery and waste management. Activities included the use of appropriate bins (e.g. glass crusher onsite), green waste program, signage of water consumption and appropriate wash down areas, etc. In addition, the Centre hosted a Climate Change Adaptation workshop.

• City of Gold Coast’s continued commitment to the management of the coastal environment and delivery of services that improve resource recovery and waste management.

• City of Gold Coast’s effective management of the Currumbin Creek entrance. The Creek entrance is dredged on an annual basis to support flood mitigation and improve water quality, with the sand removed from the Creek’s entrance deposited on the southern end of Palm Beach. The management campaign effectively recovers a resource to help manage the erosion issues along south Palm Beach (please see the Information Sheet file/ link) and maintain a healthy coastal catchment; a new PhD student at Griffith University is currently assessing the best management option for the Creek’s entrance.

•Currumbin RSL resource recovery and waste management initiatives, for example, cardboard recycling, green waste composting, heat recovery heating, reuse of commonly disposed food packaging, training of staff to support stewardship, etc.

R R R009

Photo supplied by the City of Gold Coast Photo supplied by Currumbin RSL

Environmental Innovation and Protection: Recognises innovative principles and actions associated with developing sustainable communities. Also recognises protection of the natural environment focusing on the conservation of native flora and fauna. • Friends of Currumbin support for City of Gold Coast’s program to control the Common Mynas, which have the potential to cause significant negative impacts on biodiversity

• Gecko’s Green Week program, which highlighted many environmental innovation and protection strategies to help develop sustainable communities and the protection of native flora and fauna

• Transition Town Currumbin’s meet up group has been conducting workshops in Currumbin to develop a collective vision to achieve the status of a Transition Town – ‘a sustainable community’

• Industry and community restoration work – from the Upper Creek to the Lower Creek catchment (integrated Catchment and Coastal Management)

• A climate change adaptation workshop at Currumbin Vikings SLSC – engaging with the club to highlight coastal management and develop understanding of club and organisational vulnerability and future climate projections (Project: Adapt Between the Flags coordinated Griffith University with funding from NCCARF)

• Seagrass-Watch and Waterwatch activities

• City of Gold Coast’s investment in catchment to coastal management for environmental protection

010

Photo supplied by the City of Gold Coast

“dredging of Currumbin Creek”

Water Conservation: Recognise sustainable water management within communities which has combined innovative water conservation and water re-use initiatives at the private, industrial and municipal levels, benefiting society and nature. • Automatic shut off taps on all public showers and taps

• Available drinking water bubbles – reduces needs of bringing bottled water to the beach;

• City of Gold Coast signage in public areas about water conservation

• City of Gold Coast funded education programs about water conservation - CoastEd, Waterwatch, Watersaver and

a close partnership with Healthy Waterways

• City of Gold Coast use of recycled water (tertiary treated water) for garden and landscaping activities

• City of Coast support for industry water conservation through the QLD Water Commission (part of the Water

Supply Emergency Project Part 8, Water Regulation 2002), e.g. substitute recycled water to industrial customers

• Signage and internal awareness about water conservation at Currumbin Vikings SLSC

• Currumbin RSL Smart Living Workshops and water tank installation

• Key discussions at the Transition Town meet up group about water security

Energy Innovation: Recognises sustainable energy management which focuses on innovative energy efficiency measures and climate change issues.

• City of Gold Coast’s continued commitment through innovative designs for new street lighting;

• Solar-powered beach patrol tower

• Currumbin Vikings SLSC investigation into more efficient sustainable options

• The Ecovillage continued awareness education for more energy innovative techniques for the average family

home, and award-winning off-the-grid housing and community spaces

• Currumbin RSL heat exchangers and monitoring system installed to air conditioning unit, Smart Living Workshops,

car pooling staff, transitioned all lighting to reduce energy consumption, amongst other initiatives

• Gecko Gold Coast Hinterland Environment Council community awareness about Earth Hour; and

• Gold Coast Transition Town workshops/presentations

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Photo supplied by Currumbin RSL

Photo supplied by the City of Gold Coast

For more information regarding this nomination or Gold Coast’s Clean Beaches nominations please contact Griffith Centre for Coastal Management.

This nomination was prepared as part of Coastal Community Engagement Program partnership between the City of Gold Coast and Griffith Centre for Coastal Management.

gccm@griffith.edu.au I 5552 8506 I griffith.edu.au/coastal-management

For more information

“ANZAC tribute on Currumbin Beach”