Planner's Report

                          development would require some changes to the lot layout but it is considered that Council could
                          support the proposal, subject to appropriate conditions.

                          (emphasis added).


5.2       Assessment against Current Noosa Plan 2006

      2. The development layout has been revised to further reduce the development footprint to better conform
         with the current assessment benchmarks which Council may consider and give weight to in the
         circumstances.
      3. It is considered that the proposed development generally complies with the applicable assessment
         benchmarks under the Noosa Plan 2006, including Council’s relevant DEOs and the strategic and overall
         outcomes of the Tewantin and Doonan Locality Plan. Our assessment is provided in Appendix A. Further
         assessment is provided by specialist consultants in relation to agricultural land assessment (Appendix B);
         Ecological assessment (Appendix C); and bushfire management (Appendix D).

8.0 CONCLUSION

      1. The proposed change to the approved plan results in a significant reduction in the development footprint
         and yield (from 52 approved lots to 40 lots). It also results in an additional 6.7 hectares of parkland being
         dedicated for park and conservation purposes. Additional vegetation protection will be achieved via
         vegetation covenants on large rural-residential lots. The change has also increased development setbacks
         to riparian corridors in the north of the site.

      2. Specialist assessments undertaken by ecology, bushfire and agricultural land consultants demonstrate that
         the proposed change appropriately complies with assessment benchmarks and can be supported.

      3. The proposed change results in a rural residential development that is predominantly open space in
         character, in keeping with the planning intent for the locality and the existing character of the area.

      4. The applicant, as part of earlier approvals, provided a not insignificant contribution of public benefit, being
         the Walter Hay Drive road dedication, for which Council received the benefit without paying any
         compensation. Properly understood, the proposed change is generally consistent with earlier development
         proposals and is a notable improvement on the approved layout in terms of ecological outcomes and
         community benefits;

      5. In addition, significant public interest grounds exist to support the change to the approval including:
         a) Significant community benefit will be achieved by way of parkland dedication (over 59 hectares) and
             construction of a pedestrian pathway network. Dedication of over half of the site for open space
             purposes provides significant public interest benefits over and above the benefits that would be
             achieved through the site’s rural zoning. The proposed dedication will facilitate conservation and
             recreation opportunities which would not be possible without the approval.




JFP Ref: M1775                                                                                                        Page 22