Leave Nothing but Footprints?

While the Tourism Minister, Andrew Powell MP's invitation in a video with Rebecca Young MP was simple: enjoy Coochie and leave nothing but footprints leaves a feeling of peace and tranquility, this Reel on the Brisbane with Kids page has a LOT more energy!

While it's a nice thought, I’ve been wondering what happens if a couple of hundred more people start visiting regularly.

Not all at once, of course. The ferry & barge carries up to 80 passengers, so they’d be spread across sailings. Still, every extra visit adds to the movement through a small island and a small mainland ferry precinct.

The journey doesn’t begin on Coochie. For most people, it begins at Victoria Point, where they need to get to the ferry and find somewhere to park. Some visitors may walk on; others will arrive by car.

Meanwhile, Coochiemudlo residents also rely on that same parking once they've made the trip to the mainland.

The shared spaces for cars and boat trailers on the foreshore are one part of that bigger access picture.

The pressure is already familiar to island residents. Coochie Progress Association (CIPA) has identified Victoria Point parking as an ongoing issue, and says it was the number one issue in its recent island residents’ survey. 

My thought experiment included some rough and ready numbers. Assuming around 300 people (the approx number of people who were recorded on the recent art trail) came by car with between 2 - 4 occupants in each car, the Victoria Point carpark and reserve would have to give up between 75 & 150 carparks to accommodate parking. 

If one in five Coochiemudlians have a vehicle on the mainland, that's over 200 cars. An estimate of the total precinct capacity shows around 170 - 220 places to park. 

A petition is now calling for Council to review the shared car and boat-trailer parking on the Victoria Point foreshore.

For people who want to take a practical first step on the mainland side, that’s a place to start.

Note the petition closes on 24 November and we will not be able to open another one on this topic for two years! Make your signature count!

CIPA is also calling for support through official channels, with constructive, factual comments and proposals.

Then there’s the island itself. Visitors arrive, walk the foreshore and use the facilities. They may bring food and drink with them, and they’ll need to take their rubbish somewhere. Council has removed bins from the jetty over concerns about marine litter. That decision may have its own reasoning, but it leaves a fair question: as more people are encouraged to visit, how will waste be managed across the jetty, foreshore and other visitor sites?

We don’t have to assume that every change is caused by extra visitors to notice that access is already being reshaped.

There’s another part of this I find myself turning over in my mind...In the main, Coochiemudlians aren’t here because they want to host visitors, and I don’t think the community is clamouring for an influx. That doesn’t mean every local is unfriendly, or that visitors can’t be welcomed. But a friendly hello shouldn’t be mistaken for a vote to turn our home into a busier destination.

More visitors could bring good things. People may spend at local businesses, enjoy the galleries and beaches, and discover what makes Coochie special. But a footprint isn’t only the mark left in the sand. It can also be the extra demand on parking, ferries, facilities and the people who live here.

So perhaps the question isn’t simply how many more visitors Coochie can attract. It’s whether the island and the whole journey can support that growth, and whether residents have a meaningful say in how it happens.

If all levels of government are inviting people to visit, shouldn’t the community have a say in what a sustainable welcome looks like?