2020-05-13 Special Meeting Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA                                                                13 MAY 2020


4.    DRAFT PLANNING SCHEME
Under the draft planning scheme, the site is located outside the identified rural residential area
and outside the urban area boundary. The site’s vegetation is identified on the Biodiversity and
Environment Map as forming part of a connecting habitat area and ecological linkage, with the
site zoned Rural. No subdivision is envisaged for this land, with the draft seeking to maintain the
capacity of the land for rural uses while also avoiding adverse environmental and scenic amenity
impacts.
5.    COMMENTS ON FURTHER PLAN OF 23 APRIL 2020
The plans submitted to Council on 23 April 2020 include a revised subdivisional layout prepared
in response to Energex’s objection. Review of these plans finds the proposed changes do not
overcome the conflicts with the Noosa Plan previously identified in this report. The proposed
layout also raises the same or similar issues outlined in section 3.3 of this report though notably
the development further intrudes into the northern riparian buffer.
6.    CONSULTATION
6.1. Referral Agencies
The applicant has provided notice of the proposed change to the development approval to the
following Referral Agency:
Department of Infrastructure, Local Government & Planning (SARA)
The Department was a referral agency due to the Energex easement and high voltage power
lines that traverse the site.
Energex in response to the change application on 20 December 2019 objected to the change on
the following grounds:
    The amended proposal includes 250m of road within the Energex easement, involves
      additional impacts on Energex’s interests, for which insufficient information has been
      provided; and
    The amended proposal results in a total of 8 lots directly interfacing the Energex easement.
      There is insufficient information provided to demonstrate the concept of prudent avoidance
      for future dwellings on these lots, particularly those with building envelopes in close
      proximity to the high voltage electricity infrastructure corridor.
Energex further advised it may revise its position in relation to the change application, subject to
the applicant submitting an amended proposal showing a perpendicular road crossing of the
easement and/or further detailed assessment addressing the issues raised.
Further correspondence from Energex was received on 23 April 2020 advising it has reviewed its
position in relation to the change application and it no longer objects to the change application
subject to a number of requirements including that the development is carried out in accordance
with the new plans received in April 2020 from the applicant.
6.2. Other Referrals
The application was forwarded to the following internal Council specialists:
    Coordinator, Engineering
    Ecologist
7.    CONCLUSION & REASONS FOR DECISION
The application, while offers some improvements to the approved subdivisional layout, does not
resolve the development’s significant conflicts with the SEQRP, the Planning Regulation
requirements for subdivision outside the Urban footprint and protection of koala habitat and the
Noosa Plan’s outcomes sought for the site to be maintained as rural land.


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