2021-12-13 General Committee Meeting Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                               13 DECEMBER 2021


      •   be evidence-driven, comprehensive, and prepared in a detailed manner.
2.    Within 6 months of completing 1, submit a report to the Minister on completion of the monitoring
      process. The report must detail the findings of the monitoring process and provide an
      accompanying statement from the council that identifies whether the council considers an
      amendment should be made to the planning scheme as a result of the monitoring process, and
      the reasons for the council's position on this.
The Minister’s condition specifically requires monitoring to occur over a 2-year period to allow the
provisions of Noosa Plan 2020 to take affect and see results and changes around short term
accommodation, tourism, and the housing market. The report is due 3 January 2023. State planners
are satisfied Council’s proposed monitoring and reporting approach will meet the Minister’s
requirements. The outcomes of the Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy will inform the
preparation of the monitoring report.
In consultation with the State, it was noted that COVID -19 has resulted in a unique set of
circumstances affecting the tourism and housing markets outside the control and influence of Noosa
Plan 2020. In particular, the national housing crisis and influx of interstate people and returning
expats moving to regions like Noosa, is driving a housing and investment boom. This has resulted
in significant increases in housing and rental prices and reduction in available housing stock. Closed
international and state borders have also significantly impacted the tourism and short term
accommodation sectors.
Because of these unique and unprecedented factors, the State’s planning officers recognise the
results may not be conclusive or definitive enough at the end of the 2-year monitoring period to make
recommendations to amend (or not) Noosa Plan 2020. Notwithstanding this, the reporting outcomes
will still satisfy the Minister’s conditions.
9.    Next Steps
The HNA is informing the development of a Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan. The
Housing Strategy and Implementation Plan is well underway and is currently the subject of both
internal and independent peer review. It is intended to canvass the strategy and associated
implementation plan with a range of key stakeholders, including State and Commonwealth
governments and Community Housing Providers.
Following Council’s consideration of this report and endorsement of the HNA, the preparation of
the Housing Strategy and implementation plan will be advanced and reported to Council in early
2022.
There are a range of short, medium and long term options available to Council which will be fully
explored as part of the Housing Strategy, however it is inevitable that this will include proposing
amendments to Noosa Plan 2020. Potential scheme amendments include:
•     Zone changes;
•     Additional administrative definitions;
•     Changes to tables of assessment;
•     Changes to zone codes;
•     Changes to development codes.
The State Government has advised that the HNA must be completed prior to them accepting the
proposed amendments for consideration. In order for Council to progress any planning scheme
amendments it is considered appropriate for the evidence base in the HNA to be endorsed.
Given the lengthy statutory requirements for amending a planning scheme, it is proposed to initiate
that process with the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and
Planning, by requesting a tailored process.




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