For about three hours last week Noosa Councillors debated amendments proposed for its Noosa Plan 2020 before adjourning to allow more time for consideration, with the meeting to be resumed this Thursday 12 December at 9am.
Live music and business hours in the Noosa Junction hospitality precinct, the dwellings types including single houses and dual occupancies to be allowed in medium density zones and changes to tourism zones were among issues that most fuelled the debate.
The challenge for staff was to meet the state government’s SEQ plan dwelling targets and maintain the Noosa lifestyle and character demanded by residents.
After passing state government approval in April 2024 the amendments, that had been made a year earlier as a result of recommendations from the Short Term Accommodation Monitoring Report 2022 and Noosa Housing Strategy 2022, were released for community consultation.
Council received 475 submissions including an online petition with 600 signatories.
Council staff considered all submissions from which they identified 10 key issue areas and made 18 changes to the amendments.
The key issues identified in the public submissions were:
1. Noosa Junction Hospitality Precinct – hours of operation extension and amplified music definition.
2. Noosa Business Centre.
3. Short term accommodation as an inconsistent use in Medium and High Density Residential and Centres zones.
4. Tourist Accommodation zone review – specific sites proposed to be rezoned.
5. Dwelling Houses becoming inconsistent in Medium and High Density Residential zones.
6. Size of Small Dwellings.
7. Mandatory small dwellings in the Medium and High Density Residential Zones and dual occupancy becoming inconsistent in Medium Density Residential zones on lots 600sqm or greater.
8. Affordable Rental Premises and associated bonus provisions, including building height.
9. Environmental Conservation and Management zone and setbacks.
10. Community Facilities zone – affordable housing.
After considering submissions relating to the Noosa Junction hospitality precinct staff sought to deal with business equity and resident noise issues by proposing extended hours of operation for food and drink outlets to 12 midnight seven days per week, that no amplified music is played indoor or outdoor beyond 9pm from Sunday-Thursday unless the site has been acoustically treated to the appropriate levels, and that new residential dwellings adjoining the major centre zone require acoustic treatment.
At the meeting Mayor Frank Wilkie said if councillors ratified the staff recommendation it would provide equity but would not stop future investigation taking place.
Staff told the meeting noise issues were governed though the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation. “We’re just saying they need to comply under noise requirements with liquor licensing, we’re just looking at opening hours,“ staff said.
“It provides clarity for people.“
After submissions were made in relation to dwellings in medium and high density residential zones, staff changed the amendments from “dwelling houses becoming inconsistent in medium and high density residential zones“ to “make the use of a dwelling house consistent and acceptable development subject to requirement if located on lots less than 500m2 in the Medium and High Density Residential zones and make the use of a dwellings house inconsistent on lots 500m2or greater in the Medium and High Density Residential zones“.
Cr Amelia Lorentson said this amendment had “caused widespread concerns“ raising questions over the erosion of property rights and character of Noosa and unfairly shifting the onus of housing issues on to individual property owners.
“How do we respond to property owners that feel land will be devalued,“ Cr Jess Phillips asked.
“It’s an issue that’s often put on table when you make changes to planning scheme,“ staff responded. “In the past changes haven’t affected property values in the way they thought. We have tested feasibility against contemporary market rates. That’s a response to those concerns.“
Changes were also made to the amendments that made it mandatory for 75 per cent of all residential gross floor area to be small dwellings in the Medium and High Density Residential zones and dual occupancies to be inconsistent on lots 600m2 or greater, in response to submissions.
The changes retain the current Noosa Plan 2020 small dwelling bonus provisions as opt-in rather than mandatory in the Medium and High Density Residential zones and make dual occupancies consistent on lots less than 1000m2in the Medium Density Residential zone; and make dual occupancies inconsistent of lots 1000m2 or greater in the Medium Density Residential zones.
Council staff told the meeting under ministerial rules Council was now required to consider any changes, consider submissions and submit the amended plan to the state. It was not at the stage for further community consultation.
“We need to consider all the issues the submitters raise but need to ensure the planning scheme becomes a framework to guide the future,“ staff said.
Staff said they had been working with the state government on the new SEQ regional plan for the past year with housing supply, diversity and delivery a key driver of that. They said a lot of pressure had been put on local governments to take more growth.
“Noosa is not immune to that. We were required to take our fair share and demonstrate we were able to meet population targets,“ staff said.
“It was important to meet dwelling targets in a manner appropriate to Noosa lifestyle, intensity, in a manner our residents expect.
“We were able to satisfy the government of the day that we could meet dwelling targets. We’ve been given indications of more pressure to take more growth.“
Staff said some zones were not being used to their full extent.
“We need to continue to demonstrate our planning scheme encourages the best utilisation of zones that’s appropriate for our character, our lifestyle.“
Council discussion on the amendments to the Noosa Plan 2020 will be continued at a Special Meeting at 9am on Thursday 12 December.
