2014-03-25 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda Pages 81-167

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  25 MARCH 2014


With the negation of the good quality agricultural land designation through this application
process, it is reasonable to conclude the Strategic Plan would otherwise fully designate the
affected land as Rural or Valued Habitat. The stated strategic intent for this designation is
generally [the] retention of the land in its present situation and further states:

A key principle of the natural resources strategy, as implemented through the Code for Nature
Conservation and Biodiversity, is that, where development is proposed for sites having significant
vegetation, buildings and other infrastructure should be directed away from environmentally
sensitive areas and avoid fragmentation of important habitat corridors and linkages.

The Strategic Plan only anticipates limited development on these lands and suggests uses such
as rural tourist and visitor accommodation facilities may be appropriate where they can be
sensitively located to avoid environmental impacts.

To achieve the strategic objectives for Natural Resources the implementation measures in
Section 10.5.2 (1) specifies that:

On land shown as … Rural or Valued Habitat on the Strategic Plan Map, and/or shown as a
Special Management Area on Council’s regulatory maps, Council will not support development
which is likely to:
•    unduly degrade or reduce the values of regionally significant ecosystems
•    require the removal or destruction of rare and threatened flora or its habitat; and
•    otherwise impact on the habitat so as to threaten the existence of the rare and threatened
     species.

Further measures in sections 10.5.3 and 10.5.4 seek to protect and rehabilitate vegetated/fauna
corridors and protect water courses, wetlands and water bodies. Critical conflicts with these
measures are also identified in this report.

Overall, the proposed development raises major conflicts with the strategic intent for the land
under The Maroochy Plan.

Local Area Provisions

The site is located in the Water Resource Catchment precinct (Lake Weyba Catchment) of the
Northern Coastal Plains Planning Area. Section 3.25.2 (1) of The Maroochy Plan 2000 states the
following vision for the area:

The Northern Coastal Plains Planning Area will retain its natural and rural landscape attributes,
dominated by Noosa National Park, Lake Weyba, large tracts of remnant vegetation and a
mosaic of rural activities. The protection of the natural and rural attributes of this Planning Area
will ensure that the Coastal Plains remains a naturally attractive rural area which provides a
pleasant gateway to the Shire and a meaningful contrast to the Shire’s urban areas and the
urban communities located in Noosa Shire to the north.

This will be achieved by:

… preventing new development or intensification of existing land uses in the Lake Weyba and
Lake MacDonald water catchment areas, and ensuring any development is compatible with the
water quality and other environmental values of these catchment areas;

preventing urban uses and urban style development from encroaching into the Planning Area
and degrading its natural/rural character;




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