Last week the state government informed Noosa Council two developments, a 195 residential unit, commercial, retail complex at Noosa Junction and 40 residential units at Tewantin had sought approval under the new State Facilitated Development (SFD) pathway that sidelines council’s approval process.
The state government will accept submissions on the proposals until 23 September, after which the Housing Minister will make a decision.
This week State Election candidates for Noosa Rhonda Prescott (Queensland Greens) and Clare Stewart commented on the matter.
Queensland Greens candidate Rhonda Prescott:
“As your local Greens candidate, I am following the issue of the State Facilitated Development (SFD) pathway process being used for major unit developments at Noosa Junction and Tewantin with interest and concern.
“The Greens support measures to fast-track affordable housing, but I am not convinced that providing affordable housing is the primary motivation here. Only 15 per cent of each project is required to be “affordable”.
“I suspect that with the passing of SFD legislation by the State Government some landowners and developers saw dollar signs and a way of circumventing pesky Council planning regulations. The SFD pathway, legislated by Labor and supported by the LNP, is not bound by the requirements of the relevant local planning scheme. Years of work incorporating community consultation and expert opinion have gone into formulating the Noosa Plan, and it is alarming that the State Government can choose to disregard this democratic process.
“Information such as the proposed building heights and the amount of on-site parking to be included are currently unknown. Both Noosa Council and local MP Sandy Bolton have requested urgent meetings with the housing minister to learn more about the proposals.
“The increase in drive-market tourism in Noosa in recent years has turned Noosa into a giant traffic jam much of the time. Successive State Governments have failed to fund the necessary roads and infrastructure to cope with this demand. Fast-tracking these developments will exacerbate this problem. I am sceptical about “fast-tracking” building projects due to the lack of skilled tradespeople and difficulties obtaining building materials. If these projects go ahead, will the duplication of Beckmans Road also be fast-tracked?
“In Noosa we have the absurd situation where thousands of properties designed and built for residential housing are used as short-term tourist accommodation and some resorts and motels with low occupancy rates are used to provide emergency accommodation for homeless families. A quicker fix for the local housing crisis would require these STA properties to revert to providing housing for local families and workers.“
LNP candidate Clare Stewart:
“As a former Mayor, I am very concerned with what we’ve seen from the Miles Labor Government last week.
“We absolutely need to ensure there is affordable housing in Noosa, but we expect state governments to engage with councils, not dictate to them.
“The Miles Labor Government has ‘notified’ Noosa Council of a State Facilitated Development (SFD) pathway process for two residential developments – including a 195 residential unit, commercial and retail complex.
“I understand Mayor Wilkie is seeking information from the state government on things like proposed building heights and carparking requirements.
“It is concerning that those basic details have not been provided to Noosa Council or the wider community as part of this process.
“During my term as Mayor of Noosa, I was very clear in my opposition to the Labor Government’s proposals for Noosa, particularly regarding increased height limits, as part of their Draft South-East Qld Plan and my position hasn’t changed.
“This is one of the many reasons I put my hand up to represent our community at the state level.
“I have said consistently that Noosa’s planning scheme should be integrated into state regional planning – it is clear Labor believes it should be the other way around.
“The LNP can get the balance right and address the housing challenges we face, while respecting local communities.“
