Cooroy Care Farm Town Planning Report - 4 - Report (003)

REPORT


5           KEY PLANNING ISSUES
5.1         Land use
The zone-specific overall outcomes for the Cooroy & Lake Macdonald Locality are as follows:
                  qq) For the Rural Settlement Zone—detached housing on large lots—
                      i is the dominant building form, to the general exclusion of other uses;
                      ii incorporates designs that respond to, and are integrated with site characteristics
                      including slope and vegetation;
                      iii contributes to the rural or semi-rural character and amenity of the area;
                      iv may be located in close proximity to working farms or other rural industries; and
                      v offers a relaxed rural lifestyle for residents;
                  rr) For the Rural Zone—rural land is protected and appropriately managed such that:-
                       i Agriculture and habitat protection are the dominant land uses;
                       ii the scenic and environmental values, the distinct rural amenity and agricultural
                       productivity of the locality are preserved and are not adversely impacted as a
                       consequence of development on or adjacent to that land; and
                       iii locally appropriate enterprises such as bed and breakfast accommodation,
                       farmstays, cabins, camping grounds, roadside stalls and home based businesses
                       enhance the economic sustainability of the hinterland.
The proposal involves a residential aged care facility (palliative/dementia care), community hall and chapel,
and it is acknowledged that a traditional residential care facility would not be located in the rural and rural
settlement zones. The ability to locate this development in a rural environment is fundamental to the format
in which the dementia care is provided. Similarly, the applicant recognises the importance to maintain rural
activities on the site to satisfy the intent of the zone.
Furthermore, the residential care facility has been designed to reflect rural housing. Inclusion of rural living
elements, such as hobby farm activities, also helps achieve the rural settlement zone intent.
The rural zone intention primarily involves the protection of land for agriculture and habitat protection, and
allows locally appropriate enterprises where they enhance the economic sustainability of the hinterland. The
proposal is not explicitly for agriculture, but has hobby-farm agricultural elements.
The development footprint has been designed in order to minimise the clearing of vegetation, and is located
outside of riparian buffer areas. Furthermore, the development will not result in a loss of scenic and rural
amenity, given the rural-style of the aged care facility is a core component of its functionality because of the
dementia care model that is seeking to be implemented.

5.2         Planning Regulation 2017 and Gross Floor Area
Schedule 10, Division 3, Subdivision 1, s25 of the Planning Regulation 2017 states the following:
         A material change of use of premises for a residential care facility is prohibited development if—
           (a) all or part of the premises are in—
             i.      the SEQ regional landscape and rural production area; or
            ii.      the SEQ rural living area; and
         (b) the use results in a gross floor area of more than 5,000m2 on the premises; and
         (c) the material change of use is not excluded development.
As the proposal is for a residential aged care facility in the SEQ Regional Landscape and Rural Production
area, the development must comply with this section of the Regulation otherwise an application could not
have been lodged.


PR139784 | Town Planning Report | v4 | 28 June 2019
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