PM Submission - Nicole Noonan - MCU25/0118

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                     To: Assessment Manager          –         Noosa Shire Council. Date:   23/11/25

                     Re: Application Number MCU25/0118

                     Description: Development Permit for Material Change of use by Coast2Bay for Multiple
                     Dwellings – Affordable Rental Premises 25 X small dwellings plus one community room
                     dwelling.

                     Site Address: 64 Lake Macdonald Drive, Cooroy Qld 4563 on Lot 2 (part) SP348613

                     To whom it may concern,

                     I make the following submission to Council and request the above mentioned application be
                     recommended for refusal on the following grounds:

                     1) Incorrect Premise of the RPS Town Planning Report (TPR)

                     The TPR appears to be based on a false premise. Coast2Bay’s purpose is to deliver social
                     housing, not affordable housing. The Development Application (DA) uses these terms
                     interchangeably, which is inaccurate and misleading.



                     2) Poor Proximity to Essential Services

                     Section 6.3.1of the TPR incorrectly states that the development is close to the Cooroy
                     township. In reality, the site is almost as far from Cooroy as possible while still
                     remaining within the urban footprint. The dwellings are not located “close to activity
                     centres” and do not have “ease of access to public and active transport networks.”

                     Section 3.7 of the Planning Report is misleading. The site is not close to the key services
                     of the Cooroy Town Centre.

                     ⚫     There is no scheduled bus service on Lake Macdonald Drive (only a school bus).
                     ⚫     No scheduled services are likely in the near future.
                     ⚫     The nearest bus stop on Cooroy–Noosa Road is connected by a rough, dry-weather-
                           only bush track with no formal pedestrian crossing.
                     ⚫     Walking access to town is unsafe: limited lighting, only one pedestrian crossing, and
                           an inclined rail pedestrian bridge unsuitable for older people.
                     ⚫     Car speeds on Lake Macdonald Drive regularly exceed the posted 60 km/h, creating
                           unsafe pedestrian conditions.




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                     3) Building Bulk and Density Inconsistent With Local Character

                     A) Overlooking and Privacy

                     Figure 5 of the TPR indicates a semi-underground carpark, and the report states the full 8
                     m building height will be used. On this sloping site, upper-level units will likely overlook
                     the windows and backyards of nearby Dianella Court properties. Privacy screening would
                     be required to protect existing residents.

                     D) Apparent Three-Storey Form

                     The building appears effectively three storeys high when viewed from the new
                     road/driveway (TPR Figure 5) and from Wilgee Court. This contradicts Council’s Noosa
                     Plan Performance Outcome PO17 for Cooroy.

                     Key issues:

                     ⚫     The proposed buildings are inconsistent with the existing low-density residential
                           character and the surrounding open space and cemetery.
                     ⚫     The development would visually dominate the area and significantly diminish
                           neighbourhood amenity.
                     ⚫     The elevation and semi-underground parking create a visual effect equivalent to a
                           three-storey structure.
                     ⚫     The proposal does not “maintain and reflect the form and scale of development in
                           Cooroy as a modern country town.” Cooroy has historically preserved its traditional
                           rural character.
                     ⚫     Noosa’s Housing Choice strategy intends for diverse housing to be dispersed
                           throughout the urban area, not concentrated in visually intrusive clusters.



                     4) Negative Impacts on the Cemetery

                     There has been no explanation as to how Council determined this land is “surplus” to
                     cemetery needs. With an ageing population and limited cemetery capacity across the
                     shire, where will additional burial space be provided if Lots 1, 2, and 3 are developed?

                     Remediation works have already reduced the cemetery’s sense of enclosure, privacy, and
                     tranquillity. These impacts will worsen if a public housing complex is built directly
                     beside it.



                     5) Inadequate Stormwater Capacity and Increased Flooding Risk




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                     On-site detention capacity is insufficient. Calculations suggest the current design can
                     hold less than 20 minutes of rainfall.

                     Recent storms (30 Oct and 15 Nov) were not major storms, yet Lake Macdonald Drive
                     became impassable after 64mm of rain.

                     Some storm events in this area last a week or more, delivering hundreds of millimetres of
                     rain, saturating the ground.

                     All stormwater from the 64 LMD subdivision flows under LMD at the nearby
                     intersection. This system is at high risk of blockage from debris (e.g., from the existing
                     dam), which would cut off neighbourhood access.

                     Removal of vegetation on the hill has eliminated natural retardation of runoff, increasing
                     flooding risks in the environmental reserve below Dianella Court.


                     6) Car-Parking, Traffic, and Safety Concerns

                     Insufficient Parking

                     The DA provides only 31 car parks (25 + 6 visitor spaces). This is inadequate for:

                     15 x 1-bedroom units

                     10 x 2-bedroom units

                     These could reasonably account for 35 cars before visitors or tradespeople, creating
                     overflow parking on Dianella Court and potential safety hazards near the new access road.

                     Poor Sight Lines

                     Vehicles exiting the new development will have limited visibility to the south due to the
                     location of No. 2 Dianella Court and potential parked cars. This creates a collision risk
                     for existing residents driving down to the corner.

                     Unwanted Cemetery Through-Traffic

                     The road reserve created under RAL25/0004 on the southern boundary appears to allow
                     cemetery traffic into Dianella Court. Residents were previously told by Council that this
                     corridor would be a green space footpath, not a road. It should remain as originally
                     represented.

                     Garbage Collection Issues




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                     Servicing the 6 × 1100 L bins requires a truck to perform a three-point turn and manually
                     manoeuvre the bins. This is an impractical and unsafe design.




                     Final Question

                     If this land was originally acquired for cemetery expansion in 1999—when Noosa’s
                     population was significantly smaller—what evidence supports the claim that it is now
                     surplus to cemetery needs, and who made that determination?

                     Yours sincerely,

                     Submitter Name: Nicole Noonan

                     Address:3 Dianella Court Cooroy, Postcode:4563

                     Email Address: [email protected]




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