2016-10-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

THEME: SETTLEMENT
Where are we now                                        infants and very young children are also under
                                                        represented.
                                                                                                               mountains and waterways. The town of Cooroy
                                                                                                               has easy access to the Bruce Highway and along
                                                                                                               with the villages of Pomona and Cooran is located
South East Queensland has a history of strong
                                                        Protection of environment                              on the North Coast Rail Line. Traditional farming




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increases in population. Whilst Noosa has
                                                                                                               and forestry has largely given way to rural lifestyle
experienced population increase over that time,         The Noosa community has a strong appreciation of       pursuits.




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areas south of Noosa Shire have, and will continue      its environment and has actively campaigned for its
to absorb most increases in population and              protection. Areas of environmental significance have   Low density detached houses are the most common




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development for South East Queensland. The              been protected from development and population         housing style with lots sizes ranging from 500sqm
combined Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Regional        change has been managed to reflect Noosa’s values.     in some coastal areas to 2000sqm in some villages.




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local government areas have a current population        The built environment has not been allowed to          Noosa’s dispersed low density settlement pattern
of 700,000 people which is projected to increase to     dominate the natural environment in height, scale or   has resulted in the car being the dominant form of
over 1 million people by 2036.                                                                                 transport.




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                                                        design.

Population                                              Settlement                                             Development
In the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 Noosa’s         Settlement is dispersed and largely shaped by          In 2005, the extent of urban land in Noosa was
population increased rapidly from a small district of   Noosa’s natural features including the coastal dune    defined by the Urban Footprint boundaries in the
around 6,000 to an urban and hinterland population      system, Noosa River and lake system, flood prone       South East Queensland Regional Plan. Urban
of around 36,000. Over the last 20 years Noosa          lowlands, national parks, conservation reserves and    development has been retained within these
has continued to change steadily and now has an         State forests. 82% of Noosa Shire is non-urban land.   boundaries and inter-urban breaks help distinguish
estimated population of 53,515 people (June 2015).                                                             towns and villages. The SEQ Regional Plan is
                                                        Noosa is characterised by a series of compact,
This population swells considerably during holiday                                                             currently under review by the State Government.
                                                        low rise towns and villages. Approximately 75%
periods with an estimated peak of 70,000 people.
                                                        of Noosa’s population reside in the coastal areas      Noosa has avoided urban sprawl and ad-hoc
Noosa’s population has largely come from people         predominantly in Tewantin, Noosaville, Noosa Heads,    commercial development with clearly defined
moving to Noosa, rather than from natural increase      Sunshine Beach and Sunrise Beach. Most urban           town and village boundaries, protection of the
which is relatively low.                                residential, business, community, industrial and       environment, and limits on commercial development
Noosa has an ageing population. In June 2014,           recreational activities are also close to the coast,   that may unfairly impact on existing centres. Specific
21.7% of Noosa’s population were aged 65 years          which is the area most popular with visitors.          building and design requirements have ensured
and over, which is the highest percentage in South      The hinterland accommodates vibrant villages, rural    development is consistent with the Noosa character
East Queensland. The age groups between 20 and          residential living, agricultural uses and vegetated    which has a distinctively low key and understated
39 are most under represented and correspondingly,      open space set within a backdrop of iconic             style avoiding big city features.

                                                                                                                                              Discussion Paper 11