2 Emerald Planning Report

7.2       COOROY LOCAL PLAN CODE

Purpose and overall outcomes – Cooroy

1.      The purpose of the Cooroy local plan code is to provide locally relevant planning provisions for the assessment of development within the Cooroy local plan area.
2.      The following overall outcomes apply to the Cooroy local plan area:-
     (a) Cooroy is a vibrant, energetic country town servicing the Noosa hinterland and its own growing community and provides services and facilities to meet the community
           needs whilst retaining its character and protecting the natural and heritage values of the area.
     (b) Development is limited to land within the urban boundary and maintains a defined edge to the town to protect and reinforce the character and identity of Cooroy,
           provide efficient provision of infrastructure and services, avoid constrained land and protect the landscape character and productivity of surrounding rural and rural
           residential land.
     (c) Development is sited and designed to protect ecologically important areas, retain landscape and built form elements, including significant views and vistas to external
           elements, that contributes to the setting, character and identity of Cooroy as a town with a strong sense of place and associations with the past. Valued elements
           include:
            i.    Riparian corridors of Cooroy Creek, Six Mile Creek and its tributaries;
           ii.    Open space and landscape values of the showgrounds, sports grounds, Apex Park and the golf club;
          iii.    Views to Mt Cooroy and the Black Mountain Range;
          iv.     Early twentieth century architecture; and
           v.     Heritage associations of the North Coast Rail Line.
     (d) The protection of water quality within Lake Macdonald and waterways that drain to it is a paramount factor in consideration of development within the water supply
           catchment.
     (e) Cooroy town centre functions as a district centre providing a wide range of commercial, retail and community activities to serve the needs of the Cooroy community
           and Noosa hinterland residents and visitors to the area.
     (f) Cooroy provides local employment in the town centre including small to medium scale retail, commercial and community activities which support surrounding rural
           enterprises and facilitate artistic, cultural and technology-based business.
     (g) Future economic growth continues to consolidate retail, business, community and industrial development and diversifies employment opportunities in technology-
           based businesses, artistic and cultural enterprises, health and wellbeing, and support services to rural enterprises.
     (h) The western side of Cooroy town centre is maintained as the traditional town centre and the eastern side has a supporting role providing small-scale businesses
           offering convenience goods and services for residents and visitors.
     (i) Cooroy town centre remains compact with expansion of retail and commercial functions limited to land included within the District Centre zone.
     (j) Development maintains and reflects the form and scale of development in Cooroy as a modern country town with low density, low rise buildings that cover a
           comparatively small area of a site leaving significant areas for landscaping and private open space.
     (k) Development retains and maintains the country town feel, traditional built form, heritage and streetscape character of the town centre, with Maple and Emerald
           Streets enhanced as wide, attractive and pedestrian-friendly main streets.
     (l) Development in the town centre addresses the street, provides active frontages and complements the traditional streetscape by exhibiting a scale proportional to the
           character of the streetscape of which it forms part.
     (m) Development provides and maintains small, typically narrow tenancies of single or double storey elevations with continuous, intimate weather protected footpaths and
           limited driveway accesses interrupting pedestrian paths.
     (n) Detached housing is typically characterised by a mix of detached traditional Queenslanders and modern homes with large setbacks and mature landscaping.
     (o) Attached housing locates close to the town centre and within mixed-use buildings increasing housing choice.