Wave pool project in deep water

Wave pool plan for Noosa North Shore


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By Margaret Maccoll

An application to build a wave pool and detached house on Beach Road, Noosa North Shore, raised much interest and several questions at Monday’s Noosa Council meeting.

Council’s Environment and Planning Meeting heard the application put forward by Teatree Property was for a two-bedroom house and 4000sqm wave pool with the facility to accommodate up to 12 people.

Cr Tom Wegener said as a surfer he knew there was a lot of interest in the project in the community.

Mayor Clare Stewart questioned the ability of accommodating 12 people in a two-bedroom house and asked about the potential of accommodation on the site defined as Visitor Accommodation Type 3 – Rural.

Council was told Council’s 2006 plan would have allowed up to six cabins on the site and despite state government mapping of the site’s koala habitat and priority area, under the new Noosa Plan the site would probably be allowed up to six cabins.

Councillors questioned the impact on ferry services and the amenity of local residents of the construction and filling of the lagoon pool, estimated to require 300 water deliveries.

Council heard as a construction plan had not yet been received the impact was unknown but other options to fill the pool had been raised and included pumping from the river and trucking to the site which was considered problematic or filling by rain which officers expected would take about a year and be unviable.

Council officers have recommended the project be refused because it was not considered to comply with the definition of Visitor Accommodation Type 3 – Rural, and is better defined as a Detached House, whilst the lagoon/wave pool was viewed as a main attraction more appropriately defined as Entertainment and dining business – Type 2 Recreation, amusement and fitness.

Council considers: “the proposal relies on built infrastructure as the main attraction to the site, and therefore is not consistent with the desired outcomes for Noosa’s tourism industry set out in The Noosa Plan, which aims to encourage tourism based on Noosa’s natural assets to enhance the understanding of Noosa’s environmental values. The lagoon/wave pool component of the development would result in adverse impacts on the environmental values of the area, with the proposal to clear at least 1.3 hectares of threatened species habitat of high value regrowth vegetation, and potential to pollute a wetland with high ecological values through the disposal of waste water. The proposal also requires significant excavation of an area affected by acid sulfate soils”.

The project application was referred to Council’s General Meeting next Monday for further discussion.