2020-02-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                          11 FEBRUARY 2020


 Summary of Matters Raised                                    Comments
    ‘will impact the authenticity of the experience         Several other structures are able to be viewed from
      that tourists travelling to our shire seek to           tourist locations. The tower is not visible from James
      receive’                                                McKane Lookout. The view from the Noosa Trails
                                                              network has been assessed as having minor/
                                                              negligible visual impact.
    Location of the tower is detrimental to the Noosa       The site is located in the Regional Landscape and
      biosphere and UNESCO’s principles.                      Rural Production Area (RLRPA) as identified in the
    ‘The purpose for wanting to live and invest in this     SEQ Regional Plan. The intent of RLRPA is:
      area is for the highly sought after rural scenic            protect the values of this land from
      amenity this area offers. It is unique in its natural         encroachment by urban and rural residential
      heritage with spectacular rural views taking in all           development; and
      the volcanic plugs of the Noosa Hinterland.                 protect    natural   assets      and    regional
      Something Council should protect and value as                 landscapes, and ensure their sustainable use
      an asset to the greater Noosa Shire.’                         and management
                                                               In this regard, a NBN tower in this location could be
                                                               seen to not meet this intent.             Appropriate
                                                               development in the RLRPA includes activities that
                                                               are associated with primary production, land
                                                               management, some tourism activity, and
                                                               community and recreation activity.
                                                               Strategies outlined in Element 6: Digital
                                                               infrastructure in the SEQ Regional Plan support
                                                               improvement in digital infrastructure.
                                                               The SEQ Regional Plan recognises Noosa
                                                               Biosphere Reserve and the value of Noosa’s
                                                               natural landscapes
                                                               The SEQ Regional Plan is intended to be applied
                                                               giving appropriate weight to all themes, goals,
                                                               elements and strategies to deliver a balanced
                                                               approach to planning and development throughout
                                                               the life of the plan. One element cannot be
                                                               excluded or given undue bias without due
                                                               consideration of the overall outcome sought.
    The height of existing trees at the sites location      The applicant has chosen to reduce the height of the
      are 12 metres, and the tower 36 metres. Towers          tower by 10 metres.
      approximately 24 metres over existing                   The latest survey plan provided by the applicant
      vegetation.                                             seeks to remove 8 mature trees and 4 smaller trees.
    Clearing vegetation for the tower will decrease         These are predominantly contained within the tower
      efficiency of vegetation screening and leave a          compound as the most recent change to the plan
      scar on the land. The construction of the tower         alters the alignment of the proposed access to
      will have impacts on fauna.                             coincide with the existing site access, deviating
                                                              close to the compound some 60m in from the site
    The proposal relies upon mature vegetation to
                                                              access.
      create a visual barrier… The trees appear to be
      mature with limited life span and have been             Trees around the tower site will be retained.
      subject to wind and fire damage in the past;            Species likely to be impacted upon to facilitate the
      therefore we believe they should not be used as         tower include Acacia’s, immature camphor laurels,
      a visual buffer to tower. …Dominant regrowth            lantana and one immature Hard Quandong (2m
      has a height of only 5-10m.                             high).

    Tower will be seen either side of the drive entry       Agreed. The top of the tower will be visible at this
      to 244 and the first corner after the bridge            location.
      coming up to Tablelands Rd.            Generally
      prominent along the road within 300m of the
      tower.



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