2020-02-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                11 FEBRUARY 2020


2.    SITE DETAILS
2.1. Background
The proposal was submitted to Council for assessment in October 2018. In accordance with
Section 32 of the development assessment rules, the applicant stopped the current period a
number of times in order to provide Council with further information and to respond to submissions
received. The number of days the applicant has stopped the current period totals 130 business
days.
The application was publicly notified from 31 May 2019 to 24 June 2019.
The content of submissions and Council’s concerns around impacts on visual amenity prompted
the applicant to consider the visual impacts more closely. As a result, the applicant lodged a minor
change to the application in accordance with Section 52 of the Planning Act 2016. Amended plans
were received on 17 December 2019. The applicant requested that Council agree to extend the
decision making period until 28 February 2020 to enable application material to be submitted and
assessment by Council officers to occur.
2.2. Site Description
The subject property is an undulating rural lot which is predominantly vegetated. The immediate
area surrounding the tower site is currently vegetated. Small cleared areas accommodate the
dwelling, shed and various other structures such as shipping containers and caravans located on
the site.
It is noted that the only building approval recorded by Council for this property is an existing shed.
It is not known which shed this relates to within the site. There is no record of a building approval
for the existing dwelling or other structures located on the subject site.
2.3. Surrounding Land Uses
The site is located about 5 minutes drive from the town of Cooran. Tablelands Road accesses trails
2 & 3 of the Noosa Trail Network and the James McKane Memorial Lookout (also known as Cooran
or Tablelands Lookout). Woondum National Park adjoins and is also accessed from Tablelands
Road. Tablelands Road climbs from the Cooran township with scenic viewpoints from all directions,
including views to Mt Pinbarren, Mt Cooran, Mt Cooroora, Black Mountain and various Noosa
waterways.
Densely treed, rural lifestyle properties are located on Tablelands Road. Small scale business such
as Noosa Quad Bikes and Noosa Tablelands Escape are also located on Tablelands Road.
An existing 30 metre high phone tower (not NBN) is located at 265 Tablelands Road. This existing
tower is located on the western side of Tablelands Road approximately 100m downslope from the
proposed NBN tower. The existing phone tower is visible from parts of Cooran township and Risley
Road but it is not visible from submitters’ properties visited during site inspections for this
application due to its elevation and positioning.
3.    ASSESSMENT
3.1. Instruments for Statutory Assessment
Under the Planning Act 2016 the application must be assessed against each of the following
statutory planning instruments to the extent they are relevant to the development:
    State Planning Policy;
    South East Queensland Regional Plan;
    Planning Regulation 2017;
    The Noosa Plan.




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