Bribie Island report blames human activity for accelerating erosion
The Queensland government has released the first stage of a much-anticipated review into erosion on Bribie Island, finding human activity has sped up natural coastal reshaping.
The review, led by coastal engineering experts RPS and International Coastal Management, gathered data from more than 200 historical and technical sources.
It reported that the period of 'significant' human impact spanned roughly 250 years and coincided with increased settlement around Brisbane.
Bribie Island, at the north edge of Moreton Bay, was first split in 2022 amid rough surf brought on by ex-tropical cyclone Seth.
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Water broke through in two more places this year, when ex-tropical cyclone Alfred hovered off the south-east for several days.
Locals had been calling for action over the 'highly dynamic' Pumicestone Passage, which runs between the island and the mainland, for several decades as changing tidal flows thinned and almost closed up sections of the waterway several times over the past century.
The report notes that parts of Moreton Bay have been dredged for navigational access since before 1865.
Other practices described as 'relatively impactful' were logging and farming in the Pumicestone Passage catchment, and clearing mangroves and hunting dugongs in the bay itself.
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