NOOSA PLAN 2020 - SECTION 18 AMENDMENT PROCESS - 94 AND 170 HOLTS ROAD COOROY · Report

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING                                           10 MARCH 2026




94 & 170 Holts Rd, Cooroy                 Rural zone NP2020           Urban Footprint Expansion
SEQRP

The proposed land use and employment outcomes and framework plan were presented to a
Councillor workshop on 5 February 2026 and will form the basis of a draft amendment to Noosa Plan
2020.

The State have indicated a Section 18 Process under the Planning Act 2016 (Planning Act), a tailored
and more streamlined planning scheme amendment process, would be an appropriate pathway for
this amendment as it aligns to and advances the outcomes of the SEQRP.

This process allows Council to co-design and adapt steps in the plan-making process to be more
flexible, streamlined and responsive to the unique local context and communities within our local
government area. The process must be negotiated with and agreed by the State.

A section 18 Process still includes key steps such as community engagement, State interest review
and Council endorsement. However, the tailored process allows for streamlining of the statutory
amendment process for more efficient and effective plan-making. Examples of key steps to
streamline the amendment process may include:
•   Early engagement with State agencies allowing for State agencies to opt out of the formal State
    Interest review (SIR) step, where appropriate.
•   State agency briefing within 5 days, for local government to present the proposed planning
    scheme amendment to the Department and State agencies.
•   Undertaking the state interest review and public consultation concurrently.
•   Limiting the number of days the local and state governments can pause a step in the process.
•   The State determining that a significantly different change may not require re-notification where
    the change addresses an issue raised in submissions or a matter raised during a SIR.
•   Steps in the process being delegated by the chief executive and local government.
The above steps have the potential to reduce the length of an amendment from 12-18 months to 6
months depending on the scale and nature of the proposed amendment.

A decision of Council to enter into the Section 18 Process is required to start negotiations with the
State.

Once an agreed position and Section 18 approval has been reached, a report will be presented back
to Council outlining the Section 18 process and draft amendment and will seek approval to
commence the statutory planning scheme amendment process.