PM Submission - Julia Walkden - MCU25/0118

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                Assessing Officer
                Noosa Shire Council
                Email: [email protected]

                Objection to Development Application MCU25/0118

                Address: 64 Lake Macdonald Drive, Cooroy QLD 4563
                Property Description: Lot (part) SP348613

                Name: Julia Anne Walkden
                Postal Address: 423 Old Ceylon Road
                Email: [email protected]
                Date: 24 November 2025

                Statement of Objection

                I object to the proposed development application MCU25/0118 on the following
                grounds:

                1. Insufficient Justification for Affordable Housing in this Location

                While Amendment 2 of the Noosa Plan 2020 allows for affordable housing in
                Community Facilities Zones under certain conditions, this proposal does not meet
                key performance outcomes relating to proximity to services and appropriate
                scale.

                The Noosa Housing Strategy 2022 sets clear expectations:

                     •    Outcome 6.3, Action A6.3.2: “Concentrate new housing in areas with good
                          proximity to services… within centre zones, residential zones and the
                          Community Facilities Zone close to centres.”
                     •    Outcome 6.3, Action A6.3.3: “Ensure a high proportion of new housing is
                          within 400 metres of activity centres, schools and public transport…”

                This proposal does not satisfy these outcomes.

                Distance from essential services

                One of the community’s major concerns is the development site’s significant distance
                from the Cooroy shopping centre, schools, medical services, library, police station,
                post office, and public transport.

                The proposed housing at 64 Lake Macdonald Drive is approximately 1.5 km (shortest
                walking route) from the centre of Cooroy via a steep, sloping ramp over the railway.
                The nearest bus stop to Tewantin is 1.4 km away, involving a strenuous uphill walk
                on return via Kauri Street.

                These distances present a real challenge for older, disabled, or transport-
                disadvantaged residents — the very people social housing is designed to support.



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                Below are sample walking distances (Google Maps):

                         Destination             Distance           Walking Time
                 Cooroy State School             700 m              13 min
                 Cooroy District High School     2.2 km             31 min
                 Cooroy IGA / Retail             1.5 km             21–25 min
                 Medical services (various)      1.5–1.7 km         21–25 min
                 Library                         1.5 km             21 min
                 Police Station                  1.6 km             22 min
                 Bus stop (Tewantin Rd)          1.4 km             21 min
                 Railway Station                 1.2 km             16 min

                Despite these distances, the applicant’s Town Planning Report states:

                “The site is located close to key services… Tenancy allocation will favour those with
                high transportation needs…”

                This is misleading. For anyone with “high transportation needs,” this is not a well-
                located site.



                2. Inappropriate Density

                Coast2Bay’s Final Engineering Report states that the overall property (Lots 1, 2, and
                3) has a potential yield of 130 units, with buildings of up to three storeys.

                Lot 1 alone is proposed to contain 25 dwellings, at a density roughly double that of
                the nearby medium-density Kauri Street townhouses. The density will be more
                than five times that of adjoining low-density Dianella Court and Viola Place once full
                build-out of 130 units occurs.

                The development would:

                     1. Be markedly out of character with surrounding low-density residential areas,
                     2. Adversely affect visual amenity, and
                     3. Amplify traffic congestion and stormwater impacts.

                This level of intensification contradicts the intent of nearby zoning, which includes
                low-density residential, cemetery reserve, open space, and vegetated allotments.

                Approval of Lot 1 at this scale would set a precedent for Lots 2 and 3, effectively
                enabling high-density development throughout the entire hillside.




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                3. Traffic and Safety Concerns

                The Final Engineering Report notes that:

                “There has been no Traffic Impact Assessment completed to date…”

                This is concerning given that 130 dwellings could ultimately rely on a single access
                point via Dianella Street, a quiet neighbourhood road never intended for high-
                intensity traffic.

                Increased movements and safety risks

                Social and affordable housing typically generates higher service-related traffic than
                standard dwellings (support workers, medical transport, deliveries, community
                services).

                Additional risks include:

                     •    on-street parking pressure
                     •    turning movements at peak times
                     •    increased daily traffic along Lake Macdonald Drive (already affected by dam
                          upgrade works)
                     •    higher pedestrian conflict risks, especially for children walking to school bus
                          stops

                A full Traffic Impact Assessment for the entire development site is essential before
                the proposal can be properly considered.



                4. Adverse Impacts on the Amenity of Nearby Residents

                The design requires waste collection vehicles to:

                     •    reverse into the site
                     •    manoeuvre close to neighbouring bedrooms
                     •    exit in a forward direction

                This creates unacceptable noise impacts, especially from reversing alarms.

                Because parking is inadequate, visitor vehicles will likely spill onto Dianella Court,
                creating congestion and reducing the amenity of an otherwise quiet residential street.



                5. Unacceptable Environmental and Stormwater Impacts

                The proposal does not demonstrate that stormwater can be safely managed on and
                adjoining a steep, recently remediated slope.



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                Dianella Court, located downhill from the site, has a long history of stormwater
                overflow from 64 Lake Macdonald Drive, as captured in multiple videos over recent
                years. Several downstream locations already flood during heavy or sustained rainfall.

                Deficiencies in the applicant’s stormwater proposal

                The Town Planning Report states that the development will rely on:

                     •    a future stormwater pit provided by other subdivision works, and
                     •    off-site water-quality treatment via an external bioretention basin
                     •    an indicative on-site detention tank, to be designed later

                This approach is unsuitable because:

                     •    The design is incomplete and deferred.
                     •    On-site treatment has already proven inadequate, with temporary basins
                          overtopping during recent storms.
                     •    No on-site water quality treatment is provided.
                     •    No slope-stability hydrology or contamination-specific stormwater assessment
                          is included.

                This is not an acceptable stormwater strategy for a steep, constrained,
                environmentally sensitive site.

                6. Council Cannot Approve Residential Use Until Suitability Is Proven

                Under EP Act ss 375–385, contaminated land must be demonstrated to
                be “suitable for use” before approving any sensitive land use, such as housing.

                To date:

                     •    Remediation is incomplete.
                     •    No independent validation report has been provided.
                     •    No “suitability for use” certification has been issued.

                Approving the MCU prior to confirmed site suitability would be inconsistent with:

                     •    the Environmental Protection Act, and
                     •    the Planning Regulation.

                This must be resolved before further assessment proceeds.

                I respectfully request that Noosa Council refuse Development Application
                MCU25/0118 for 64 Lake Macdonald Drive, Cooroy.


                Julia Walkden
                24 November 2025




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