Meeting papers

               ATTACHMENT 2 – 132001.210127.3 - PLANNER’S REPORT
1.    PROPOSAL
The applicant seeks approval to change an existing development approval for a Material Change
of Use – Stage 3 – Aged Persons Home (20 Beds). The proposal includes alterations and additions
to the existing residential care facility (Ozcare Noosa Heads Aged Care Facility).
The minor change application is required to be decided by Council due to the proposed
Infrastructure Agreement regarding works required to be carried out on Council land for the
purposes of stormwater works, access and bushfire mitigation measures.
The existing Ozcare facility has been operating on site since the late 1990s. The applicant states
that, ‘as a response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Ozcare has re-evaluated its
accommodation model to ensure the facility meets current legislative and market requirements for
aged care accommodation, and in particular eliminating shared bedrooms / ensuites as an
important issue of infection control’. The minor change therefore seeks to remove and/or
reconfiguring all 24 existing double rooms, providing 48 single rooms in lieu, across the Banksia
North, Banksia South, Casuarina and Acacia wings of the development. No changes are proposed
to the Eucalyptus and Darwinia wings of the development (refer to Figures 5 - 8).
The proposal includes demolition and reconstruction of the existing Banksia, Casuarina and
Administrative and Services wings, predominately within the existing building footprint. The
Banksia wing is proposed to also include a second storey and a minor extension to the building
footprint in the south eastern corner of the subject (refer to Figures 6 & 7). Minor changes are also
proposed to the Acacia wing, including the conversion of existing patios to additional internal
bedroom areas, and the addition of an activities room (refer to Figure 8). The applicant has
confirmed that the Acacia wing homes special care residents who require additional care
associated with mobility issues and dementia. The proposal to enclose the patios will provide for
additional internal floor area for support equipment (eg lifters), and noting that the units will still
open out onto landscaped gardens to the front and rear, whilst the proposal include the addition of
a communal activities room. As such, the proposal to enclose the patios will not impact on the
residents’ amenity and access to open space. The proposed alterations cannot be seen from the
road frontage.
Although the existing development will be extended to accommodate the new single rooms, the
overall number of beds provided on-site will not increase. In addition, there will be no increase in
residents or staff, and as such the proposed changes do not result in a material increase in the
intensity of the use occurring on-site, with the applicant stating ‘the intent is to improve the overall
amenity and operation of the facility, while not increasing the number of persons residing on-site’.
At present the facility accommodates a maximum of 130 persons, there is no proposed change to
the maximum number of persons to be accommodated.
The proposed room reconfiguration is detailed in the following table which was provided by the
applicant:




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