2017-07-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     11 JULY 2017


The plan continues with regulatory approaches towards prohibiting urban development outside
the Urban Footprint and restricting subdivision in the rural areas to a minimum lot size of 100
hectares.
Council made a submission to the State Government in response to the draft regional plan. As
part of this submission Council addressed the capacity of land within the Urban Footprint to
accommodate projected population growth. Noosa Council’s draft submission to ShapingSEQ
notes
Council has concluded not to support any changes to the Urban Footprint under the new
ShapingSEQ for reason that there is no need demonstrated currently for additional urban land to
be allocated to Cooroy, or any other part of Noosa Shire. Council has previously outlined in this
submission that it considers sufficient capacity exists in the current Noosa Plan to accommodate
the projected demand for dwellings until 2041.
The Noosa Plan (2016)
Under the Noosa Plan the land is zoned Rural Zone and a new application for lot reconfiguration
would be a Code Assessable application. A code assessable application would include
assessment against the Tewantin and Doonan Locality Code and the Reconfiguring a Lot Code.
The Noosa Plan envisages that Rural zoned land will be predominantly used for open space and
farming activities. The intent is for this land to be appropriately managed and protected such that
the scenic and environmental values, the distinct rural amenity and agricultural productivity are
preserved. Rural residential type lots are intended to only occur on land zoned for rural
settlement with residential use contained within the defined urban growth boundaries.
Accordingly it is considered that existing approval is inconsistent with the Noosa Plan (2016). The
inconsistency relates to the Desired Environmental Outcomes, the Tewantin and Doonan Locality
Code and the Reconfiguring a Lot Code.
Specifically the proposal would be in conflict with the following Desired Environmental Outcomes:
a)   AGRICULTURE USES
     Agricultural industry is maintained by—
     i.    conserving land for economically viable and environmentally sustainable agricultural
           purposes;
     ii.   preventing the fragmentation of agricultural land;
     v.    protecting agricultural pursuits from incompatible uses, particularly those more
           suitably located within the urban growth boundary;
The proposed development of 52 rural residential lots does not meet this Desired Environmental
Outcome as it will result in the fragmentation of agricultural land and does not conserve land for
agricultural purposes. It is acknowledged that the land has not been identified as good
agricultural land however it is also noted that historically the land has been used for grazing
purposes. The proposal would also result in a land use within the Rural Zone that is more
suitably located within the urban growth boundary.
i)   RESIDENTIAL USES
     Urban and rural settlement for residential use is contained within the defined urban growth
     boundaries shown on zoning maps ZM1- ZM9. It is developed to be consistent with—
     i.    the expected character and amenity for the particular locality; …….
It is considered that the proposal is not compatible with this Desired Environmental Outcome as it
allows for residential use of land outside of the urban growth boundary. This type of land use is
not consistent with the expected character and amenity of the locality where agricultural and
conservation type land uses are expected.



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