PM Submission - Johann Holdysz - MCU25/0118

 

 

Housing propos

By Johann Holdysz

The affordable housing proposal at 64 Lake Mac-
donald Drive, Cooroy is back on the agenda.

For many Cooroy residents — particularly
those in Dianella Court and Viola Place who pre-
viously lodged complaints, petitions and submis-
sions — this is another opportunity to make their
voices heard.

Formal submissions on the current Planning
Application MCU25/0118 (for a Development
Permit for a Material Change of Use to establish
25 small dwellings as Affordable Rental Premises)
may be made until 24 November 2025.

Council’s Decision to Use Cemetery Land

In its search for land “surplus to Council needs,”
the Noosa Council identified the former rubbish-
dump site next to the Cooroy Cemetery — previ-
ously earmarked for cemetery expansion purposes
as a candidate for affordable housing. That deci-
sion is questionable. The cemetery is already near-
ing full operational capacity, and there is no clear
evidence that the need for future burial space, or
for alternative community uses such as open space
or recreation, was properly considered before de-
claring the land “surplus.”

Distance and Access Problems

Community concerns have focused strongly on
the site's isolation from shops, services and public
transport. Councillor Nicola Wilson noted that the
site is far from essential services and that it would
be difficult and potentially unsafe for vulnerable
residents to walk either up Kauri Street's steep
slope or along Lake Macdonald Drive, which lacks
footpaths. Councillor Jessica Phillips emphasise
that housing developments should be carefully lo-
cated, appropriately scaled, and should not under-
mine community amenity or impose hidden costs
on ratepayers.

The site lies roughly 1.3 kilometres walking dis-
tance (or about 1.16 km “as the crow flies”) from
the Cooroy shopping centre — too far for com-
fortable access on foot, especially for elderly or
mobility-restricted tenants. The nearest bus stop,
on the Cooroy-Tewantin Road near Olivene Street,
is about 830 metre: hable only via Pear
Tree Lane —with a creek crossing that floods, a

 

 

 

 

 

 
  

 

 
      

 

 

 

  

 

 

Johann Holdysz. (Supplied)

rough hill climb, a lack of footpaths, and is obvi-
ously not a community safe place.

Why Location Matters

Modern affordable-housing principles favour sites
within easy reach of shops, community services
and reliable public transport — ideally within 400-
1000 metres of high-frequency bus or train servic-
es operating at least every 15 minutes in peak pe-
riods. Cooroy simply does not have such transport
services. On access grounds alone, this proposal
should have been rejected outright.

Developer's Response

In its planning report for Coast2Bay Housing

   
 

Drive, Cooroy is
prepared for housing development.

 

 

Land clearing for affordable housing proposal at
64 Lake Macdonald Drive, Cooroy.

Group, consultants RPS Group argued that the site
is “close to key services offered within the Cooroy
Town Centre” and that tenancy allocation would
“favour those with high transportation needs,
given the proximity to Cooroy train station and
bus services along Tewantin Road.” However, lo-
cal residents and councillors strongly dispute that
description of “proximity”.

Density, Amenity and Infrastructure

Councillor Phillips and the community have also
raised concerns about the excessive density and
intensity of the development, its impact on Co-
oroy’s limited infrastructure (roads, intersections,

 

noosatopay.comau NEWS

a fiasco

parking), and the loss of valued open green space

intended for cemetery expansion.

Councillor Phillips supports working collab-
oratively with the State on affordable housing —
but only when developments are well-planned,
balanced, and located where they make sense,
not simply “forced through because of urgency
or political pressure.’ Councillor Wilson summed
up community frustration in February s fol-
lows: - “It’s too late to consult with the community
about how to use the land when we've already
taken steps to remediate it; we've jumped the gun
and built a road.”

Poor Planning and Misplaced Priorities

Council’s rushed move to rezone and push afford-

able housing on this site appears to be planning

by opportunity, not by design. It was followed by a

$4.1 million grant for essential infrastructure from

the Crisafulli Government — money that could
arguably have been spent on a site closer to town,
free of contamination issues, and better served by
infrastructure. Choosing this location has sacri

ficed trees, added unnecessary costs, and reduced
space for future cemetery needs.

Unresolved Concerns

Key issues that remain unresolved include:

1, The site's distance from public transport, shops
and essential services.

. The social and psychological impact of isolating

vulnerable tenants without adequate access to
amenities,
The developments incompatibility and exces-
sive density, more akin to townhouses or unit
complexes than the with surrounding single-
dwelling character.

4. The risk of setting a precedent for similar high-
density developments on adjoining Lots 2 & 3,
and the surrounding area.

Conclusion

Cooroy residents have long supported the prin-

ciple of affordable housing — but they also expect

it to be planned responsibly, located sensibly, and
integrated thoughtfully into the town’s existing

character and infrastructure. The proposal for 64

Lake Macdonald Drive fails those basic tests.

 

 

 

nD

 

*

Sell your broken or
unwanted Jewellery
in 3 easy steps:

1 We Verify
2. We Weigh

3. We Pay

GUARANTEED
HIGHEST PRICES PAID

tr

OOSA 5/19 SUNSHINE BEACH ROAD, NOOSA HEADS QLD 4567
[email protected] | 1300 888 787

GOLD BUYERS

Document Set ID: 24325570
Version: 1, Version Date: 21/11/2025

a

 

 

er, 2025 NOOSA TODAY 14