2015-09-15 Infrastructure and Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA   15 SEPTEMBER 2015




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INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                             _ 15 SEPTEMBER 2015

            Council to the south. The Shire encompasses a total land area of 871.6 km2 with over 800 kilometres of
            roads and nearly 450 kilometres of bikeways.
            In 2007 the Shire was designated a Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and
            Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Man and the Biosphere (MAB) program.
            While significant amounts of native vegetation have been removed or greatly modified one third of Noosa is
            considered to have outstanding environmental, biodiversity and natural history values and is managed
            primarily for conservation. A further 30,653 hectares of land is predominantly undeveloped and sustainably
            managed through voluntary arrangements such as Land for Wildlife and Voluntary Conservation Agreements.
            Noosa’s economy relies significantly on tourism leveraging the Shire’s great beaches, natural open space and
            outdoor recreational assets. In an attempt to reduce this dependence Council is developing strategies to
            diversify the local economy and develop new high value, low environmental impact businesses across the
            Shire.
            Noosa is home to approximately 7,400 businesses which are mainly small or micro businesses. It is also home
            to a range of very successful entrepreneurs and skilled business people.
            More than 53,000 people call Noosa home, however this swells significantly in peak holiday periods. For
            example, over 110,000 visitors overnighted in Noosa between January and March 2015, with a further
            97,000 day visitors in the same period.
            Under the current Noosa Planning Scheme, the sustainable resident population has the capacity to grow to
            62,000.
            Urban development is concentrated in the coastal communities and eastern beaches from Peregian Beach in
            the south to Noosa Heads and Tewantin in the north. In these areas the population density is around 400
            persons per square kilometre. For the balance of the Shire, the overall population density is approximately
            25 persons per hectare concentrated in and around the hinterland centres of Cooroy, Pomona, Cooran, Kin
            Kin and Boreen Point. Smaller residential areas are scattered throughout the hinterland.
            The Noosa community prides itself on its many strengths including:
             e  an engaged population that plays an active role in decision making
             e  areputation for being a caring community that helps one another
             e  anoutdoor lifestyle with its associated health and wellbeing benefits
             e  astrong and longstanding commitment to the protection of environmental values
             e  a large pool of active retirees, often available for volunteer work
             e  dynamic community groups, sporting clubs and social clubs
             e  popular sporting, food and cultural festivals and events
             e  low-rise development that is integrated with the landscape rather than dominating it and underpinned
                by Council’s The Noosa Plan
             e  alack of big city symbols such as a lack of traffic lights, neon signs and billboards
             e  anappreciation of our history and heritage
             e  asmall Council that is responsive to its community
             e  a distinct identity and brand which leverage significant economic benefit.

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