2020-03-16 GC Agenda - Item 4 - Attachment 1 - MCU18 0015 Officers Report and attachments from 2019-06-11 P&E Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    11 JUNE 2019


EXCUTIVE SUMMARY
Council is in receipt of a development application on land located at 27 Attunga Heights, Noosa
Heads (the site). The application seeks a development permit for:
   Material Change of Use 14 dwellings units in the form of:
     o     2 x Detached Houses; and
     o     12 x Multiple Housing Units.
   Reconfiguring of 1 lot into 4 lots plus an access easement as follows:
     o     Lot 1 – 7,507m² for 12 detached Multiple Housing Units;
     o     Lot 2 – 1,050m² for 1 Detached House;
     o     Lot 3 – 950m² for 1 Detached House;
     o     Lot 4 – 8,543m2 proposed to be dedicated to Council as conservation park; and
     o     An access easement to provide access to proposed Lot 2 though Lot 1.
The site is characterised as containing significant environmental values with the site’s vegetation
identified as Environmental Protection by the Noosa Plan’s Biodiversity Overlay and of concern
regional ecosystem by the Vegetation Management Act. The site includes an important wildlife
corridor linking vegetation from Settlers Cover/Noosa Inlet through to Peppers Resort and the
Noosa National Park. A watercourse further traverses the site, which flows into the Noosa River.
The site contains sandy soils and has steep slopes, with slopes varying between 20o and 45o and
a history of a least one known land slippage. Edgar Bennett road reserve runs parallel to the
site’s western boundary with a public pathway constructed in this road reserve. Peppers Resort
is located on the site’s eastern boundary.
A previous development application for 30 multiple dwelling units and 12 accommodation units
for the site was approved by Council in 2005. This application was subsequently ‘called in’ by
the Minister due to the site’s wildlife corridor and in March 2006, the approval was amended by
the Minister to preserve a 50m wildlife corridor through the site. This approval has now lapsed.
The Noosa Plan zones approximately 1.35ha of the site as Open Space Conservation, with 2
small areas zoned Detached housing and an area adjacent Peppers Resort zoned Attached
Housing. The proposed development extends significantly into the areas zoned Open Space
Conservation and outside the area’s zoned for development. The applicant submits that there is
good reason for this and being guided by comprehensive site-specific technical reports, the
development has been located on less constrained land offering significant benefits.
The applicant’s submission is agreed with to a limited extent as the proposed development is
located in part in an area that contains more moderate slopes, and which is currently infested by
weeds. This layout has for the most part also removed the need to construct a bridge across the
site’s waterway as was proposed in the previous development approval. The proposed multiple
dwelling units have also been desirably designed as individual buildings stepping down the slope
set on posts, rather than combining the units into one larger building with a basement car park
and requiring significant earthworks as previously approved.
Notwithstanding this, the proposal extends approximately three quarters along the site’s western
boundary into steeper slopes and more intact vegetation. The proposed extent and layout of the
development in this area also impacts on the visual amenity and vegetation within Edgar Bennett
road reserve (public pathway) as the proposal includes limited setbacks and opportunities for
landscaping and significant earthworks are proposed for the driveway with up to 2m high
retaining walls required on the boundary. A number of the proposed multiple dwelling units,
including units 1, 2, 11 and 12 at either end will also be highly prominent being 3 storeys and
setback 2m from this road reserve boundary in places. Notably multiple dwelling units 3 – 10 will
predominantly present as 1-2 storeys with the lower levels unlikely to be visible from the
pathway.

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