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

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   25 MARCH 2014


The applicant claims to have taken an integrated approach to the development design in order to
achieve triple bottom line sustainability outcomes and protect and enhance the site’s
environmental values but this view is strongly opposed. The development approach of modifying
the landform through major earthworks and clearing all vegetation within urban precincts to
provide for intensive residential development does not appropriately respond to the site’s values
and constraints and poses unacceptable risks and impacts.

The level of intensity of Noosa on Weyba’s urban precincts are what that might be contemplated
on a centrally located site providing high levels of connectivity and accessibility that would
advance contemporary principles of good urban design. While the development site is proximate
to Noosa’s urban fringe and its principal business centre, it is unable to connect to them in any
meaningful way due to the presence of Eenie Creek and adjacent conservation lands. As a
result, the development will provide poor levels of accessibility and will entrench car dependency
for residents. This car dependency may be no greater than some existing urban areas of Noosa
and the Sunshine Coast but should not be accepted when considering unplanned urban
expansion.

The development raises numerous planning conflicts and concerns relating to the SEQ Regional
plan; aboriginal cultural heritage; koala conservation; water quality of the Lake Weyba and Noosa
River Systems; environmental corridors; scenic and residential amenity; open space and
conservation values; infrastructure capacity and provision; bushfire; public transport; and urban
design outcomes.

Concurrence agency conditions directed to be applied by the Department of Transport and Main
Roads and Department of Environment and Heritage significantly impact on the development and
are considered fatal to its functionality. The Sunshine Coast Council has also directed Noosa
Council to refuse that part of the development that falls within its local government area.

Critically, the applicant has failed to discharge its onus to demonstrate sufficient grounds exist to
overcome the development’s planning conflicts. This assessment finds that the submitted
grounds are either minor or significantly outweighed by the development’s impacts.

The development is recommended for refusal, with detailed reasons listed in the
recommendation.




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