Tides of Change: Navigating erosion, storms and community strife on Bribie Island and beyond

Chameleon 

December 1, 2025 – Bribie Island, QLD 

Bribie Island and its surrounding hubs like Caboolture and Morayfield form a vibrant coastal mosaic. With pristine beaches, bustling markets and a tight-knit community spirit, this corner of Queensland draws families seeking sun-soaked escapes. Yet beneath the postcard perfection, 2025 has exposed a region grappling with environmental fragility, political tensions and everyday hardships amplified by severe weather. Social media buzz from threads to local Facebook groups - paints a picture of frustration, resilience and urgent calls for action. As the year draws to a close, these voices highlight issues that demand more than headlines: they cry out for solutions. 

The Breakthrough: A wound on the Island's edge 

At the heart of Bribie Island's woes is the ‘breakthrough’ - a dramatic erosion event that has carved gaping channels through the Island's northern tip. What began as a narrow breach in 2022, triggered by ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth, exploded in scale this year. In March, Tropical Cyclone Alfred unleashed ferocious waves, widening the original gap and spawning two more breaches, effectively splitting the uninhabited northern strip into smaller islets. By mid-2025, the main breakthrough stretched over 1km wide, devouring dunes and threatening the Pumicestone Passage's delicate ecosystem.  

Residents aren't just watching sand vanish; they're fearing the fallout. “It's pretty scary,” says Golden Beach local Emma Kettleton-Butler, whose foreshore home now stares down an unprotected ocean. Community submissions to a state-led review - nearly 1200 in total - echo her alarm, citing risks of storm surges inundating homes, parks and roads. Environmental volunteers, like retired engineer John Oxenford, blame a mix of natural forces and human meddling, pointing to the 2007 decision to open beaches to four-wheel drives as a “Pandora's box” that accelerated erosion.  On X, posts from locals like @Dunger71 decry "erosion issues, not sea level rise,” urging focus on immediate fixes over climate debates.  

The Queensland Government's response? A swift independent review by coastal experts RPS and International Coastal Management (ICM), launched in April under the Crisafulli administration. Part 1, a 69-page desktop analysis drawing on more than 200 sources, mapped decades of decline. Part 2 followed in June, recommending urgent dredging and sand re-nourishment to buffer the breaches.  By November, emergency works had closed breakthrough #2 after dredging 370,000 cubic metres of sand, with a second dredge en-route to seal #3 before the 2025-26 storm season. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie hailed it as a "laser-like focus" on action, contrasting it with Labor's ‘do-nothing’ decade.  

Yet skepticism lingers on social media. Social media users question if these are bandages on a bleeding wound, with calls for long-term strategies like enhanced dune reinforcement and passage-wide resilience plans. Sunshine Coast Council, which submitted its own 2014 action plan to the review, emphasises community input to protect icons like Lions Park. As one resident posted: "We've lost chunks of our Island - now protect what's left”.  

Storms Strike: Power outages and fire fears 

Mother Nature didn't stop at erosion. Late November’s supercell storms battered the region, leaving 27,000 properties - 3000 on Bribie alone - without power for days. Energex crews rebuilt ravaged networks amid winds that felled lines and sparked blazes, while locals shared generators, barbecues and stories of survival.  “Strangers became family overnight,” tweeted @7NewsBrisbane, capturing the rally. But frustration boiled over on social media, with posts decrying delayed responses and highlighting vulnerabilities like signal faults on Bribie Island Road.  

Compounding the chaos: lithium battery fires. A Bribie home was gutted just days after a fatal e-scooter blaze elsewhere, fueling debates on household hazards.  “These storms exposed our weak spots - power, fire, everything,” one Morayfield resident vented online. Broader infrastructure woes, from rail replacement buses on the Caboolture line to mechanical breakdowns on routes like 651 to Morayfield, underscore a transport system strained by growth and weather.  

Wildlife and cultural clashes: When protection meets protest 

Beyond the physical threats, social media has ignited over ethical flashpoints. A heartbreaking incident in July saw Wildlife Rescue Queensland euthanise an elderly, emaciated kangaroo on Bribie after months of monitoring. Volunteers faced verbal abuse from passersby lacking context, prompting a plea for compassion: “These decisions break us, but they're humane”. The post garnered 600+ likes, sparking threads on balancing wildlife care with public emotions. 

Tensions escalated in October when an Aboriginal group's cultural festival on a native bird breeding ground drew accusations of environmental hypocrisy - and counter-claims of racism. “Protecting culture shouldn't harm wildlife,” fumed locals on X, while organisers decried bigotry. This echoes wider regional gripes over native title expansions. Senator Malcolm Roberts blasted a 365,000-hectare claim stretching from Bribie to Childers as overreach, questioning: “When will this end?”  In Caboolture, an Aboriginal corporation accused of fraud was granted land, with demands for $25M per resident in reparations fueling outrage: “This isn't help - it's division”. 

Development debates add fuel. LNP MP Jarrod Bleijie's department allegedly fast-tracked a donor-linked project, overriding council blocks and sparking a Crime and Corruption Commission referral. Social media erupted: “Corruption at our doorstep”.  Meanwhile, stalled projects due to unseen ‘Aboriginal artefacts’ have locals walking out of meetings, labelling it “tone deaf”.  

Health hazards: Sharks and everyday risks 

Bribie’s waters, once a swimmer’s haven, now carry a chill. A fatal shark attack earlier this year prompted vows like @Kelly26552573's: “I'll stick to estuaries now”. Asbestos traces on beaches unearthed by storms, add another layer of dread. 

A call to the horizon 

Bribie Island and its neighbours aren't defined by crises - they're forged in them. From storm-ravaged barbecues to review submissions, community resilience shines. But as news and social media threads swell with #BribieBreakthrough and #MoretonBayMatters, the message is clear: Listen louder, act swifter. The Crisafulli Government's emergency wins are steps forward, but long-term coastal management, equitable land policies and infrastructure upgrades are non-negotiable. 

As one local summed it up: “We're not just surviving the tide - we're ready to turn it”. For Bribie, 2026 could be the year solutions outpace the waves. Until then, the conversation rages on - online and on the shore.