We're building a new Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant pontoon at Charles Clarke Park in Mooloolaba. This will allow people of all abilities to access and paddle the Mooloolah River kayak trail using non-motorised watercrafts including kayaks, canoes and stand up paddle boards (SUP). The pontoon will have built in features to allow for assisted and unassisted access to the water.

Charles Clarke Park has been chosen as the first location to receive a specialist pontoon as it:

• is central to the Sunshine Coast
• has existing infrastructure to support all abilities access including parking, amenities and facilities
• is close to a large carpark with flat grades, providing better accessibility to the pontoon
• offers great access to the Mooloolah River kayak trail and Pacific Ocean.

As far as we are aware, this structure will be the first of its kind in southeast Queensland – and possibly Australia. Other structures we have researched either have:

• DDA compliant access to a pontoon but not all abilities access to the water, or
• no DDA complaint access to the pontoon but all abilities access to the water.

This facility will combine both attributes to create a holistic pontoon that can be enjoyed by all.

To ensure the pontoon meets the needs of those who will be using it, between 14 October and 11 November 2024, community members were invited to review the design and plans and then provide feedback on the accessibility of the pontoon. Thank you to everyone who had their say.

Feedback will help to inform the concept design. Changes will be made to better reflect the needs of people with lived experience of disability. We will report back to the community with the concept design and a construction timeline in early 2025.

The draft pontoon design aims to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and Australian Standards for access and mobility. Features include:

• upgraded DDA compliant carparking and facilities in the park
• a new two-metre-wide pathway from the accessible carparks leading to the large pontoon
• a specialised launcher with design elements such as slide stops to allow people with a range of different abilities to manually enter and exit the launcher
• a tiered seat allowing transition from wheelchair sitting height to watercraft level with an extendable sliding bench allowing seated access over the launcher for users to slip into the watercraft easily
• lockable wheelchair and kayak roller storage area on the pontoon.

Council performed a non-motorised watercraft access study which identified a gap in DDA access for water-based activities. As a result, a project opportunity for a DDA compliant pontoon emerged. Through a site investigation and analysis process, Charles Clarke Park was identified as the best location for the pontoon.

Objectives for the pontoon project include:

• will be DDA compliant for wheelchair access within the maximum possible tidal range
• will have built in features to allow for assisted and unassisted access to the water for a range of disabilities
• will be suitable for the maneuvering of a double kayak, including a lifting system to enable dry loading of a person before the kayak is rolled into the water
• will consider disabilities of all ranges such as intellectual, sensory, neurological and ageing related disabilities.

Initial feedback was sought on the design of the pontoon from people with lived experience of disability. A summary of the feedback is provided below:

• the feedback was positive and supportive of the proposal for a pontoon at this location
• the project was thought to be inclusive and a great outcome for the community
• the feedback highlighted the types of watercrafts which may get used
• suggested ways carers or local onsite businesses may assist those with higher needs
• recommendations of several active and passive safety systems which could be incorporated
• there were minor recommended changes to the layout of the design to incorporate:
  • better wheelchair articulation
  • proposed parking
  • proposed lead in pathway.

There may be an opportunity in the future to construct similar pontoons. We have identified three other locations we are currently assessing, as shown in the figure below:

• Site 1: Bradman Avenue
• Site 2: Cotton Tree
• Site 4: Crummunda Park