A new portable waste facility has been installed, and portable toilets are now mandatory at Teewah Beach due to human waste being inappropriately disposed of in the area’s natural environment.

Since 12 October 2021, all campers staying in the Teewah Beach camping zones 1 to 7 have been required to bring and use a portable toilet for the duration of their stay.

The camping zones cover 14km of beach, including the dune area and sand cliffs between the Noosa Shire Council boundary and Little Freshwater Creek.

This new requirement is considered the best answer to the issue of high levels of bush toileting occurring at Teewah Beach, particularly during peak times, contaminating the environment and posing an unacceptable health risk to campers and visitors.

Constructing permanent toilets in the camping zones at Teewah Beach is not feasible as shifting sands and tidal influences make it impossible to erect any permanent structures.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has installed a portable waste disposal facility at Noosa North Shore to assist campers with the new requirement. The facility is at Noosa North Shore’s second cutting, making it easy for campers travelling from Teewah Beach to dispose of their waste before heading home.

The facility – a $576,000 investment that incorporates four individual dump points and a specially constructed access road and standing areas – complements similar amenities in the Cooloola Recreation Area at the Freshwater day-use area and on Clarkson Drive in the Rainbow Beach township.

The waste disposal facility and the mandatory use of portable toilets by campers will go a long way towards reducing pollution and improving everyone’s experience when visiting the Cooloola Recreation Area.   

From 12 October, it has been an offence to camp in this area without a portable toilet, with an on-the-spot penalty of $413 applying for offenders. 

While using portable toilets in the Teewah Beach camping zones is now mandatory, rangers will focus on education rather than compliance over the coming months.

In the weeks since implementing this mandatory requirement, QPWS rangers have been talking to campers about the benefits of using portable toilets and human waste disposal facilities. For more information, click here.

Contributed by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Coastal and Islands Region

Editor: So, is the use of portable toilets mandatory for camping on K’gari?

The DES website suggests portable toilets are required for Coolooloi Creek and Cornwell’s group camping areas. In addition, portable toilets are recommended for all other camping areas where no toilet facilities are provided.

Portable toilet waste disposal facilities are located at:

• Waddy Point: approximately 400m south of Orchid Beach service station
• Dundubara: on the Dundubara entrance track
• Woralie Road: at the beach entrance of the road near K’gari private camping area
• Cornwell’s camping zone: at the beach entrance of Cornwells Break Road
• Wanggoolba Creek barge landing: adjacent to toilet facilities
• Hook Point: at the intersection of Hook Point inland road and the 11km beach access track.

Please show you care about campsite hygiene on K’gari. Show some respect, and bring a portable toilet.