2022-04-12 Planning & Environment Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                       12 APRIL 2022


      PO2
      Alternative models of housing including housing for people with special needs are
      appropriate where they are in keeping with the medium density residential amenity and
      density.
The Noosa Plan 2020 introduced bonus plot ratio in the instance when a development provides
small dwellings are at a ratio of a least 3 small dwellings to one other dwelling as detailed below:
      Plot Ratio
      PO11
      Plot ratio of development:
      a)    does not exceed 0.4:1; or
      b)    for small dwellings or for development which provides a ratio of at least three small
            dwellings to one other dwelling, does not exceed 0.5:1.
The application does not meet the requirements for the increase in plot ratio as it proposes that 4
of the 8 dwelling units be small dwelling units, thereby not meeting the 75% ratio threshold. Whilst
the new scheme has specifically considered the provision of small dwelling units as justification of
additional plot ratio it has not provided the same benefit to development which is be constructed to
the gold standard under the Livable Housing Design Guidelines. Council’s Strategic Planning
Team’s Noosa Housing Needs Assessment 2021 has also not identified that bonus provisions for
development should be provided for development which achieves gold standard under the Livable
Housing Design Guidelines.
It is noted that whilst the application proposes to achieve the gold standard there is no certainty
that this product will be delivered to anyone who would specifically benefit from the associated
design features. No mechanism has been proposed by the applicant to ensure that the dwellings
are occupied by persons with mobility needs. It is also unlikely that a NDIS participant would be
able to afford the purchase of one of these properties due to the level of funding available.
It is important to note that Council staff support the provision of housing that achieves gold standard
under the Livable Housing Guidelines. Furthermore, compliance with the gross floor area
requirements does not prohibit the applicant from developing multiple dwellings which achieve the
gold standard. It is possible for multiple dwellings to be developed on the site which both achieves
gold standard and complies with gross floor area. In this instance, it is noted that the units are
reasonably generous in area being 94m2 and 123m2, each containing a 16m2 family room on the
upper floor and therefore there are opportunities to reduce the proposed gross floor area, but the
applicant has chosen not to modify the development to comply.
The applicant maintains that they would accept a condition requiring compliance with plot ratio
however have demonstrated that this could be achieved by increasing the extent of the void to the
upper level. The applicant also maintains that by increasing the void to the upper level the external
appearance would not change and therefore the bulk of the development would be maintained
whilst complying with the plot ratio requirements.
Addressing non-complaint plot ratio is a common occurrence in the assessment of development
applications, the concept of utilising voids is a well-worn argument used by planning consultants
seeking to justify the increased plot ratio. However, in practice the use of voids as expansive as
proposed by the applicants is rarely pursued due them being impractical and the cost implications
of developing additional built form with no related floor area. Whilst it is agreed that increasing the
void will not change the building appearance, the void proposed by the applicant does not result in
a useable or practical layout to the upper level and would be unlikely to be pursued. The void
proposed by the applicant is detailed in the following image (red line):




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