2015-10-13 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                           13 OCTOBER 2015


3.4. Grounds to Support Application
The applicant identifies the following grounds it considers sufficient to overcome the
application’s conflicts with the planning provisions applying to the site’s Community Services
zoning, in accordance with the requirements of the Sustainable Planning Act 2009:
1.    The application site is already used for residential purposes;
2.    Residential use is compatible with other established uses within the area and can
      continue to operate on the site without adverse impacts on the amenity of the adjoining
      uses or the character of the surrounding area;
3.    The proposed development will address a need for smaller, more affordable,
      residential dwellings within Tewantin;
4.    The proposed development will add to the supply, variety and mix of dwellings within
      Tewantin;
5.    The proposed development is consistent with the height, scale and density expected
      within the local area;
6.    The site is located next to the Tewantin Business Centre and has excellent
      accessibility to the services and facilities within the Centre;
7.    The proposed residential development will help to support the vitality and viability of
      the Business Centre;
8.    The Council has no additional community facilities identified or planned for Tewantin
      Town Centre and the site is no longer required to provide these types of facilities;
9.    There is no identified need, or demand for, the site to be used for service, utility or
      transport uses; and
10.   Commercial Business and Entertainment uses, which are also supported on the site by
      the Noosa Plan, would more appropriately be located within the Business Centre Zone
      to help reinforce its vitality and viability.
These grounds are generally agreed with. Advice from Council’s Strategic Planning unit
indicates no additional community facilities have been identified or planned for the
Tewantin’s business centre, with the intent to continue to upgrade and strengthen the
existing Tewantin Community Centre at Ernest/Earl Streets (which includes United
Synergies and Tait House).

Perhaps the most likely use for the site, given its private ownership, would be for childcare,
however, there are a number of existing nearby centres and loss of this land for that purpose
would not unduly constrain land for provision of future facilities should the need arise in the
future. The site’s planning provisions also allow for offices and medical (more commonly
associated with the adjacent business centre zone), but it is generally agreed with the
applicant that further commercial development fronting Doonella Street is not desirable.

Council’s Strategic Planning unit notes The Noosa Plan’s stated intent to provide for shop-
top housing and small dwelling units within the Business Centre zone, but these provisions
have yet to realise any significant new re-development or provision of affordable housing.
Tewantin has an older population relative to the broader Sunshine Coast and only 21.1% of
households comprise couples with children compared to 26.6% for the Sunshine Coast.
Also 26.5% of households are lone households compared to 22.1% for the Sunshine Coast.
Across the Sunshine Coast there is a lack of housing choice, especially for smaller and more
affordable dwellings. This is particularly the case for Noosa where there is a mismatch
between current housing forms and current and anticipated future demographic
profiles. Based on available land for housing in infill and greenfield areas, there is likely to
be increasing shortage of smaller and more affordable housing. The subject site is well


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