Town Planning Report - Lake Macdonald Drive, Cooroy (Coast2Bay) · MCU25/0118

REPORT


1             INTRODUCTION
RPS has been engaged by Coast2Bay Housing Group to seek development approval for the establishment
of a Multiple Dwelling comprising twenty-five (25) small dwelling units on land at 64 Lake Macdonald Drive,
Cooroy. The subject site is more properly described as part of Lot 2 SP348613, comprising approved Lot 1
pursuant to Council reference RAL25/0004, which has an area of ≈3,161m2.
This development application seeks:
•      Development Permit for a Material Change of Use to establish a Multiple Dwelling (Affordable Rental
       Premises comprising 25 small dwellings).
Under the Noosa Plan 2020 (version dated 26 September 2025), the subject site is located in the Community
Facilities Zone and forms part of the Cooroy Local Plan Area. The proposal is subject to impact assessment.
It is acknowledged that lodgement of this development application follows adoption of Amendment No. 2 to
the Noosa Plan 2020, which commenced 26 September 2025. We recognise that the amendments adopted
in this version of the Planning Scheme are intended to:
•      expand housing choice through smaller dwellings, accessible dwellings, affordable dwellings and
       dwellings specifically built for permanent rental; and
•      create feasible pathways for the development of additional social or affordable housing.
In particular, we understand that the publicly notified amendments originally proposed to facilitate lodgement
of code assessable development applications for multiple dwellings over certain Community Facilities zoned
land (including the subject site), where consisting of ‘small dwellings’ designated as ‘affordable rental
premises’.
On this basis, Coast2Bay negotiated acceptable terms for the freehold purchase of the subject land from
Council under a Capital Funding Agreement (CFA) with the State, contingent on the project providing social
housing for eligible people on the register of need.
Importantly, the CFA commits the project to Social Housing in perpetuity, with a State mortgage over the
land. As social housing owned by a Registered Community Housing Provider (RCHP), the dwellings will be
registered as Community Housing Assets under the Housing Act 2003 (Qld) and will be subject to regulatory
requirements under the National Regulatory System for Community Housing (NRSCH).
Protections are provided to the asset under the Act, to ensure that they are retained in the housing system
even if the RCHP (Coast2Bay) ceased to exist i.e. they must be transferred to the State or another RCHP.
To maintain its registration, Coast2Bay must complete an annual NRSCH return to demonstrate that the
assets are being used for social housing, including rent collection, vacancy and maintenance data.
The CFA also contains provisions for control of the design of the dwellings, including the State’s Social
Housing Design Guidelines and a requirement for a minimum of 50% of dwellings to achieve LHA Gold level
accessibility.
This report provides greater detail on the nature of the proposal and provides an assessment of the proposal
against the intents and code requirements of relevant statutory planning documents. Technical issues
associated with the proposal are addressed in appended technical reports.
Based on these assessments the proposal is recommended for approval subject to reasonable and relevant
conditions.




AU213016247 | Development Application for a Material Change of Use to establish a Multiple Dwelling (Affordable Rental Premises) comprising 25
dwellings | 1 | 29 September 2025
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