2022-05-19 Ordinary Meeting Minutes

ORDINARY MEETING MINUTES                                                                  19 MAY 2022


10.   CLOSED SESSION
      Nil.




11.   PUBLIC QUESTION TIME


      1.     BRIAN O’CONNOR
             Question 1.
             With just a few parcels of land available at the Cooroy Business Park and industrial park
             and the council actively examining these sites for affordable housing, will Noosa Council
             undertake a study into the likely take-up of available commercial land in the Noosa
             Hinterland over the next 10 years, with a view to ascertaining where to locate and rezone
             suitable additional and flood-free land for rural enterprise and commercial activities so
             as to grow and diversify the local economy?
             Response by Leo Jensen, Acting Director Environment & Sustainable
             Development
             Council is not actively examining the sites you mention for housing. Council will be
             undertaking an Employment Land Review next year. This study will look at supply and
             demand for employment land across the Shire. The study will consider the changing
             trends in employment land both commercial and industrial. The exact timing for this study
             is not yet determined.
             Question 2:
             Noosa Council regularly must deal with complaints about inappropriate backyard
             businesses creating nuisance for neighbours or wanting to expand in-situ. When the
             council acts on complaints, or refuses expansion, what is to happen to these businesses
             or where can they relocate? Similarly, work-from-home desktop computer businesses
             and so-called 'next-generation' digital start-ups look to co-locate to a business hub
             offering creative and practical synergies of co-habitation. What is Noosa Council doing
             to facilitate this type of job-creation economic activity in the hinterland, where a younger
             cohort of people is moving for lifestyle and a relatively cheaper mortgage?
             Response by Leo Jensen, Acting Director Environment & Sustainable
             Development
             The last few years has shown how easily many people can work from home, and likewise
             many residents choose to purchase a high proportion of their goods over the internet
             having them delivered. Most home-based businesses cause very little impact or concern
             and can continue and are supported in the Noosa Plan. There are vacancies in the
             various town centres with underdeveloped sites remaining. There remains flood-free
             undeveloped industrial land in Cooroy. Council also has established the Peregian Digital
             Hub which attracts people to it from all over the Shire. Start-ups do not need to be a
             tenant of the Hub to benefit from the range of programs and ecosystem support available
             for those working in the digital sector in the Shire. This includes the Digital Tribes
             Networks, and a number of professional development events regularly hosted at the Hub
             (both in person and online). Council is satisfied that there are opportunities available
             should home-based businesses outgrow their premises.




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