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

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                25 MARCH 2014


The affordability of the housing products on offer within the development is unknown and
comments on their consistency with the Affordable Living Strategy cannot be confirmed. The
affordability is likely to be less than areas within the urban footprint, given the extensive
earthworks and infrastructure servicing/upgrade requirements, in addition to ongoing body
corporate costs associated with maintenance and environmental responsibilities.

Social Infrastructure

The information request identified a concern that the proposed increase in population would
place greater demand on social infrastructure in the locality and conflict with the Social
Infrastructure Strategy. The application submits that the development will not generate the need
for additional social infrastructure, but instead will increase the number of people utilising the
existing infrastructure.

Recent studies of existing nearby social infrastructure (including Verrierdale Hall and a range of
meeting spaces in Noosaville) indicated these are currently well utilised and close to capacity.
The increase of over 2,000 residents within the locality will place greater pressure on these
facilities and is likely to require additional community meeting spaces. Additional social
infrastructure within proximity to the development is not planned to be delivered within the time
frame of the Noosa on Weyba development and given the spatial relationship with Noosa is likely
to place greater financial strain on the Noosa local government area.

Approval of this development would require further detailed assessment of community social
infrastructure needs to determine if the applicant should be required to contribute toward new or
upgraded facilities or early delivery of planned infrastructure.

Energy Efficiency In Building Design & Water Conservation

The proposal aims to deliver some desirable sustainability measures for future building
construction. A number are to be delivered through residential design guidelines proposed to be
implemented when individual building designs are submitted for future planning or building
approvals. The design guidelines suggest that buildings will be oriented to the north to achieve
passive energy efficiencies; however, the guidelines would need to be clarified and strengthened
if they are to be effective development control tools.

10,000L water tanks are also proposed with most of the dwellings (with alternate communal
arrangements for some attached dwellings). The submitted Integrated Water Cycle Management
Plan finds:

… a 10kl rain tank configuration could supply approximately 96% of the standard residential
household demands for toilet cisterns, garden irrigation and laundry use. This in turn represents
approximately 25-30% of the total household demand, representing a significant, sustained offset
from the bulk water supply system serving the Noosa area.

The proposed passive design and water conservation measures align with the Sunshine Coast
Council strategies that also transferred to Noosa Council and are desirable. They do not,
however, present grounds to support the development in themselves. It should also be noted
that they are somewhat at odds with recent changes in State regulation, which has seen the
removal of certain sustainability requirements from Queensland Development Codes and
prohibition of residential design covenants elements in order to promote housing affordability.
Consequently, onerous sustainability requirements are now more difficult to sustain via
conditions of a development approval.




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