MCU18/0102.03 - Application For Other Change To Development Approval For Bounce Hostel, Food & Drink Outlet At 14-16 Mary St, Noosaville · Attachment 2 – (MCU18 0102.03) – Development Assessment Manager Report

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT                                 10 FEBRUARY 2026


     Council will have regard to any substantiated complaints relating to noise, car parking and
     any other relevant matters associated with the Food and Drink Outlet use.
Assessment of Request
The officer report for the previous Other Change application for A Food and Drink Outlet at the site
noted:
     The Noosa Plan 2020 requires uses in the Mary Street/Thomas Street Health and Wellbeing
     precinct to be low impact, limited to daytime operations where adjoining residential zones,
     and exclude food and drink outlets, shops, bars, hotels, or entertainment venues.
     Development should not generate high traffic or require extensive parking, ensuring a
     transition between the business centre and nearby residences while protecting amenity.
     The subject site is somewhat unique in the precinct as the Noosa Plan specifically identifies
     it as being suitable for short term accommodation in the form of a hostel which can include
     ancillary recreation facilities for guests such as a cafe. The existing development on site has
     been designed to minimise impacts on the surrounding area with recreational areas located
     internal to the site and screened by buildings and the approval includes conditions that limit
     hours of operation (including use of the pool and sundeck areas) as well as requiring a
     manager/ receptionist to be on site at all times. A site inspection by staff confirmed the
     effectiveness of the design in providing buffering to the adjoining residential areas.
     The new food and drink use does not result in changes to the built form and will allow external
     patrons to visit the site and utilise the existing facilities. The applicant has demonstrated over
     time that both uses, with appropriate management, can operate without impacting on nearby
     residents. In this regard correspondence was received in February 2023 by Council from an
     adjoining landowner to the rear of the site who advised they have had no reason to complain
     and have no concerns with the originally proposed Other change.
     In terms of traffic and car parking, the proposed change will generate some additional traffic
     and car parking however this increase is unlikely to directly impact residents to the rear.
     The proposed development previously complied with the car parking requirements of the
     Noosa Plan 2006 code which required 1 space per 12 guests and 1 space per staff member
     with parking for a courtesy shuttle bus. The approval is for a 122 bed hostel and has 13 car
     parking spaces, 1 bus space and 4 scooter spaces in the basement, with 2 parking spaces
     in the street already accounted for the development, since they were created by the
     development at the time.
     The area used for the Food and drink outlet is approximately 190m2, which would equate to
     a requirement for a further 10 spaces on site were the outlet to be used only by non-staying
     guests. It is however reasonable to assume that the outlet will be used for both resort guests
     and non-staying guests and in this regard the applicant considers that at any given time a
     maximum of 80m2 may be used by external guests which equate to an additional 4 spaces.
     The applicant provided two surveys of video stills of the basement carpark to address
     carparking demand for the development. The initial survey conducted between 13 February
     to 19 February 2023 by the applicant’s planning consultant, showed the basement to be
     generally underutilised however did indicate that the carpark was full or almost full on
     Saturdays. Further information was requested to be provided to cover a greater period of
     time with the applicant providing further video stills for the period between Sunday 27 August
     2023 to Saturday 23 September 2023. The applicant noted: