Response to Information Request - Final

    “Adamson Town Planning, specialising in providing higher order town planning advice”



nevertheless assist in expanding the range of food and other convenience goods carried to the
benefit of both Noosa North Shore’s residents and visitors.4

In summary, the Needs Assessment provided by Foresight Partners, has confirmed that the
intention to allow more flexibility on the site in terms of the types of residential uses allowed,
will have no discernable impact upon the Noosa North Shore’s overall visitor market and its
mix of accommodation. In fact, the ability to allow for a mix of uses has the potential to
improve viability of the existing hotel and general store and should improve the overall viability
of the Beach Road Holiday Homes development, thus making it more sustainable in the long
term, which is a desirable planning outcome.

Other Issues

Another issue raised in the information request is with respect existing visitor accommodation
located in the Noosa area, which is sought to be protected by the certain provisions under the
planning scheme. It is accepted that planning provisions can seek to provide certain town
planning outcomes with respect protecting particular sites for development, such as resort
developments and this is supported. However, if applied more broadly this can also have an
adverse affect by preventing market forces from determining the highest and best use of land.

The use of the Visitor Mixed Use Zone is generally supported, where the provisions allow for
a mix of uses. In most of the Visitor Mixed Use Zones in the Noosa area a mix of residential
uses is provided for, being for permanent and semi-permanent residential and visitor
accommodation, as well as other supporting uses.

The creation of a separate definition for Visitor accommodation – Type 4 Conventional, is a
use that provides purely for visitor accommodation. This has also meant that there was a need
to create a Multiple housing – Type 4 Conventional use, which provides purely for permanent
and semi-permanent residential living, but also precludes visitor accommodation.

Under former planning schemes for the Noosa area, the term Multiple Dwelling was used,
which was a residential use that allowed for both permanent or semi permanent living and
visitor accommodation. Consequently, since the commencement of the Noosa Plan 2006, any
development for Multiple housing – Type 4 Conventional, technically cannot be used for short
term visitor accommodation, which might be of concern.

It is suggested that the implication of this could be significant in terms of the availability of
visitor accommodation in the Noosa area in the long term. Consequently, by seeking to
regulate visitor accommodation broadly under the planning scheme, this has potentially
inadvertently prevented a number of multiple housing developments from being able to be
used for visitor accommodation, which is not desirable.

Should a unit owner make a complaint to the Council about a unit being used for visitor
accommodation in a Multiple housing development, the Council would have no option but to

4
    Needs Analysis, Foresight Partners Pty Ltd, November 2016, page 14



    15006 – Response to Information Request , November 2016

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