2017-08-08 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   08 AUGUST 2017


South East Queensland Regional Plan
In accordance with the South East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP) the subject site is
identified as a Regional Landscape and Rural Production Area (RLRPA).
A strategic direction of the SEQRP is to protect the regional landscape recognising that South East
Queensland’s rural and natural landscape areas support environmental, rural production,
recreational, cultural and scenic functions. They underpin the region’s liveability and viability, and
will be protected from urban development and rural residential subdivision.
The SEQRP identifies the intent of the RLPRA to identify land with regional landscape, rural
production or other non-rural values. It seeks to protect this land from inappropriate development
particularly urban or rural residential development recognising that these areas of land include
significant biodiversity values, important regional ecosystems, good quality agricultural land and
cultural and landscape values and land that forms important inter urban breaks.
Regulatory provisions of the SEQRP apply to the RLPRA. The restrictions restrict:
    further fragmentation of land holdings;
    urban development, except within established villages;
    the expansion of rural residential development outside areas already allocated in local
      government planning schemes.
The Planning Regulation 2017 identifies that subdividing a lot completely or partly in the SEQ
regional landscape or rural production area is prohibited development (a copy of the relevant
provision is contained at Attachment 2). Prohibited development is development for which an
application may not be made.
Accordingly, it is considered that the proposed extension of time does not accord with the current
policies and regulatory requirements of the SEQRP. Notably the exemptions from the SEQRP that
the current approval relied upon would not apply today. The development would result in the
creation of an urban settlement within an area where the intent is to protect the landscape and
capacity for rural production. The proposed urban development is not located within an established
village and would result in fragmentation of land holdings outside of areas already allocated for
such purpose by the Noosa Plan.
ShapingSEQ is a new draft regional plan for South East Queensland and was released by the
Queensland State Government in October 2016. The new regional plan is expected to be finalised
soon. It will replace the current South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031. Regional Plans
have an outlook of 25 years from when the draft is prepared and therefore ShapingSEQ is based
on projections to 2041.
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 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.

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