E. coli and streptococcus levels that would “knock your socks off” have been detected in the waters around Golden Beach, prompting a local taskforce to reach into their own pockets to confront water quality issues directly.

However, a $35.6 million commitment from the newly elected LNP government to create a Sunshine Coast Waterways Authority could direct vital funding towards protecting the Pumicestone Passage.

A volunteer group called Take Action for Pumicestone Passage (TAPP) has been monitoring pathogenic bacteria in our local waters in conjunction with Sunshine Coast University Health Institute (SCUHI) after failing to secure support from the former government.

Despite severe drops in seawater salinity and a surge in bacteria like E. coli threatening local beaches, TAPP members said Council and government support was “non-existent”, leaving TAPP to fund the ongoing project alone.

TAPP has taken matters into its own hands, monitoring water quality as stormwater runoff causes harmful bacteria spikes in the Pumicestone Passage.

A TAPP spokesperson, scientist and Sunshine Coast physician, said water quality problems along the coastline at Bulcock and Golden Beaches were “serious, urgent and complex”.

“The situation we now have should have been foreseen by the previous government,” the spokesperson said.

“It is going to be very expensive to fix, but work needs to be done to investigate options to prevent further deterioration to our beaches and maintain the health of the environment and the safety of our community.”

The spokesperson said TAPP advised the local Council and the previous State government that the NHMRC guidelines on water quality should be implemented to prevent health problems following the breakthrough.

“TAPP was concerned by their lack of interest in reviewing and implementing the guidelines that we commissioned the SCUHI to test the water at the Coast Guard Jetty and the Military Jetty sites,” the spokesperson said.

“This is an ongoing project funded totally by TAPP with no help from the Council or the State Government.”

Newly elected Member for Pumicestone, Ariana Doolan, said the former Labor government “turned a blind eye” to “one of our most significant natural assets of the Pumicestone Passage”.

“The LNP’s commitment will ensure this important waterway is managed and protected for generations to come,” Ms Doolan said.

TAPP report the results of their self-funded water testing so far were “stunning”.

“The Coast Guard Jetty ECC agar plate will knock your socks off,” one report read.

“The amount of E. coli (blue colonies) from 50mL filtered water is truly phenomenal.

“In fact, the amount of cultivable microbes from this water sample across all agars was astounding…it’s very filthy water.”

ECC refers to E. coli/Coliform Count agar or E. coli/Coliform Chromogenic agar, which are both types of selective growth media used to detect and quantify E. coli and coliform bacteria.

These types of agar plates help visualise bacteria presence by highlighting E. coli colonies in specific colours, often blue, making it clear when water quality is compromised.

TAPP said the water quality was being “dramatically affected” by stormwater running directly onto the local beaches.

“After rain, there is a sudden drop in salinity of the seawater and an increase in acidity of the water which has a detrimental effect on plankton and has also resulted in a spike in E coli at the stormwater outlets together with other bacteria such as Vibrio and Nocardia species,” the spokesperson said.

“I often see people fishing off the Caloundra Boardwalk and they’re not catching anything.

“Plankton form the primary food source for invertebrates and fish, without them, there will be a noticeable reduction in fish.”

A Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) spokesperson said they had “not recently observed anything of concern” with water quality in the Pumicestone Passage.

“Since the formation of a new passage at Bribie Island, DESI has increased water quality monitoring in northern Pumicestone Passage,” the spokesperson said.

“Quantification of the concentration of Enterococci bacteria as an indicator of sewage contamination was added to data collection in August 2023 to support safe swimming conditions over the summer.

“To enable data collection as the new passage formed, a near real-time water quality monitoring buoy was deployed opposite the Bulcock Beach boardwalk from August 2023 to July 2024.”