Have your say on the future of Point Cartwright Reserve and La Balsa Park

What does the ideal future of Point Cartwright Reserve and La Balsa Park look like to you?

Sunshine Coast Council is calling on the community to provide feedback and help create the Point Cartwright Reserve and La Balsa Park Master Plan 2021-2041.

Division 4 Councillor Joe Natoli said it was important for council to gain a full understanding about how this much-loved area was being used.

“To do this, we need to speak with the residents, businesses, visitors and community groups and listen to their ideas and concerns for this very popular reserve and park on the Sunshine Coast,” Cr Natoli said.  

“The plan aims to guide the future use and management of this coastal area, balancing the needs of users and the environment, for all our community to enjoy.

“Community feedback will help council ensure a safe, shared space and preserve our natural environment.

“You can provide feedback by speaking with a member of the project team at La Balsa Park during Have Your Say Pop Up events to be held throughout December. If you fill out a survey in person, you’ll walk away with a coffee voucher.

“If you don’t have time, you can complete the survey online by visiting council’s website before January 9, 2022 and you’ll go into the draw to win a double movie pass.”

Also in December, council will be holding a community workshop. Participants will undertake a series of activities exploring the future use and management of the coastal area.

Cr Natoli said there was so much to explore and love about this part of Division 4.

“If you have visions for the area or concerns about how the reserve is being used, then make sure you let us know so we can incorporate this feedback into future planning activities.”

The draft master plan will identify areas for protection, future uses, access and movement and future infrastructure.

Council will finalise the master plan next year.

Visit council’s Point Cartwright Reserve and La Balsa Park Place Master Plan webpage for more information.  

How you can have your say

Join us at La Balsa Park, meet the project team and fill out a survey to receive a coffee voucher from a local café.

• Saturday, December 4, 7.30-10.30am
• Saturday, December 11, 2-5pm
• Wednesday, December 15, 7.30-10.30am

Join a community workshop at the Kawana Community Hall on Tuesday, December 7 between 5-7pm. Numbers are limited and you can register your interest in attending by emailing [email protected] by Friday December 3, 2021.

Visit council’s website to fill out the survey online before Sunday, January 9 for your chance to win a double movie pass.

Point Cartwright Reserve and La Balsa Park fast facts

• The Point Cartwright headland is a sacred place to First Nations peoples. The area is home to a number of culturally significant sites.
• The Point Cartwright Reserve was originally named Point Raper by Lieutenant Heath of the Royal Navy in 1861. Sometime after, the point was named after Edmund Cartwright who developed weaving and combing equipment.
• The park obtained its name from the famous 1970s La Balsa expedition in which a raft made of balsa logs, carrying four men and a cat, travelled from Guayaquil, Ecuador to the Sunshine Coast.
• Located near the mouth of the Mooloolah River, Point Cartwright is renowned for its scenic beauty and landmark lighthouse.
• The current reinforced concrete pentagonal lighthouse tower, measuring 32.4 metres in height, was opened in 1979 replacing the earlier lighthouse that had been guiding ships into Moreton Bay since 1896.
• The popular walking track starts from either La Balsa Park on Harbour Parade, or the reserve carpark at the end of Pacific Boulevard, Buddina.
• The Point Cartwright trail is part of the 96km Sunshine Coast Coastal Pathway.
• For more information on the spectacular Point Cartwright and its history visit; Sunshine Coast Heritage.