Following implementation of the 28-day anchoring limit per financial year on the Noosa River, we took resident requests for a statement of reasons and review of the implementation of the regulations to Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ).

The General Manager of MSQ has since provided the following response in italics:

The generic letter sent by residents requests a statement of reasons regarding the regulatory changes introduced as part of the Noosa River Plan. Specifically, it focuses on the 28-day anchoring restriction and requests a statutory review of these changes.

This correspondence endeavours to invoke the jurisdiction of the Judicial Review Act 1991 (the Act) but are of no legal effect. Aggrieved persons can bring an application for statutory review on one of nine separate grounds set out in section 20(2) of the Act. These grounds can be summarised as:

  • The decision-making process breached legal or procedural requirements, including natural justice, required procedures, or jurisdictional authority.
  • The decision was improperly made, involving errors of law, unauthorised actions, misuse of power, or lack of supporting evidence.
  • The decision was influenced by unlawful factors, such as fraud or other actions rendering it contrary to law.

However, none of those grounds apply to these circumstances. A request for a statement of reasons can only be made by a person who is entitled to make an application under section 20 of the Act, therefore a request for a statement of reasons is invalid.

Further to this, the application for statutory review must be made within 28 days of the day the decision came into effect. The 28-day anchoring restriction commenced on 1 January 2026 and was published in the Queensland Government Gazette via section 197 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016. The time for the application for statutory review expired on 29 January 2026.

The 28-day anchoring restriction was not directed to any specific individual or class of persons but for marine safety and the sustainable management of the Noosa River and its adjoining waterways. Importantly, these changes have an overwhelming public benefit.

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) appreciates that there are persons who own a vessel or a houseboat who are affected by the Noosa River anchoring changes. MSQ is working with those who are affected by these changes to provide guidance to ensure compliance with the anchoring restrictions. MSQ has taken particular care to engage with vulnerable people and has facilitated connections with appropriate welfare services including alternative housing options.

Queensland Government Gazette

The Queensland Government Gazette is the official weekly publication used to publish authorised legal notices and regulatory changes.

As outlined above, notification of the 28-day anchoring limit was gazetted in Queensland Government Gazette No. 74 on 28 November 2025. The notification, below in italics, states:

NOTIFICATION OF DANGER TO MARINE SAFETY

Maritime Safety Queensland

Brisbane, 28 November 2025

I, Kell Dillon, General Manager, Maritime Safety Queensland, pursuant to section 197 of the Transport Operations (Marine Safety) Regulation 2016, state that an owner or master must not allow a ship more than 5 metres in length to be kept in the waters described in schedule 1, for more than 28 days each financial year, unless exempted under schedule 2, with effect from 1 January 2026.

Schedule 1

Noosa River and its adjoining waters, including but not limited to:

  • Lake Cootharaba, Lake Cooroibah, Lake Como, Lake Doonella, Lake Weyba; and
  • each adjoining creek.

Schedule 2

The following ships are exempted:

(a) a ship exempted by the Maritime Safety Queensland’s Executive Director, Waterways Management.

(b) a ship that exits the waters described in schedule 1 on the same day that it enters.

Note:

The length of a ship for this Notification of Danger to Marine Safety is the distance measured from the foremost tip of the hull to the aftermost part of the hull, excluding appendages.

The term kept means anchored, grounded, or secured to an unapproved mooring or unapproved structure.

This notification is in addition to the Notifications of Danger to Marine Safety published on:

  • page 485 of the Queensland Government Gazette, Vol. 398, No. 56 on 21 March 2025; and
  • page 173 of the Queensland Government Gazette, Vol. 399, No. 20 on 30 May 2025.

To view the relevant Queensland Government Gazette, visit www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/gazettes-november-2025/resource/43010c1b-59f6-4c66-8784-647f7b974309. This notification can be found on page 468.

Ongoing advocacy

As previously outlined in our February Update, we have also raised with the Minister for Transport a number of implementation issues emerging from these changes, including temporary storage options, mooring allocation, financial assistance and resourcing for river management.

We will continue to monitor responses from both MSQ and the minister regarding these matters.

Further information

To read the full Noosa River Management Plan: www.msq.qld.gov.au/about-us/news-and-stories/changes-for-boating-on-noosa-river

For direct advocacy regarding the Noosa River Management Plan, contact the Minister for Transport and Main Roads via: transportandmainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au. Please cc our office via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au and forward any response you receive.