2014-05-20 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     20 MAY 2014


4.   UTILITY MODEL AND UNITYWATER’S INTERIM CONNECTION POLICY

Author           Coordinator, Development Assessment, Kerri Coyle
                 Planning & Infrastructure

Index            ECM/Subject/Contracting/Water Supply, Planning Instruments/Priority
                 Infrastructure Plan PIP & Customer/Unitywater

Attachments      1.    Submission
                 2.    Interim Connection Policy



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this report is to provide an update to Council on the Utility Model and review
Unitywater’s Interim Connection Policy for consistency with the planning assumptions for Noosa
Shire.

On 1 July 2014 the Utility Model will commence. This will see the water and sewerage aspects of
development separated from the development assessment process under the Sustainable
Planning Act 2009 to be directly managed by Unitywater. In preparing for this change, Unitywater
is required under the South-East Queensland (Distribution and Retailing Restructuring) Act 2009
to ensure their Interim Connections Policy is endorsed by Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast
Regional and Noosa Councils as being consistent with the planning assumptions for their local
government areas. The staff review of this Policy finds that it does not fully address the planning
assumptions for Noosa Shire. The Policy does not properly address National Parks, foreshore
areas and the like and these should be removed from the mapped areas.

It is therefore recommended that Council endorse Unitywater’s Interim Connection Policy subject
to some amendments to ensure it is consistent with the planned future development for Noosa
Shire.


RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the Coordinator Development Assessment’s report to the Planning and
Organisation Committee Meeting dated 20 May 2014 regarding the Utility Model and Unitywater’s
Interim Connection Policy and

A.   Agree to endorse the Interim Connection Policy subject to the following amendments:
     1.    The future development assumptions for Noosa as identified in Part 2 of Noosa’s
           Priority Infrastructure Plan shall be incorporated into the Interim Connection Policy;
     2.    All conservation lands in public ownership, including National Parks, foreshores and
           the like shall be excluded from the Connection, Future Connection and Restricted
           Connection Areas given these lands are located outside the identified Priority
           Infrastructure Area for Noosa and are not planned for development;
     3.    Private properties that have an existing connection but which are located outside the
           Priority Infrastructure Area shall be limited to property connection for a single
           residential dwelling only;
     4.    The Sewer Utility Model maps are to exclude Lots 14 & 44 RP59216 (Map 3 –
           Boreen Point) and Lot 101 SP254354 (Maps 4 & 5 – Cooran) from the Connection
           Area;


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