2015-10-13 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                    13 OCTOBER 2015



Council’s Previous Submission                            Comment

E. The Planning & Development Bill maintains and         The draft Bill maintains the revival provisions,
extends the time frame for applicants to be able         with the draft Development Assessment Rules
revive a development application where it lapses.        indicating that applicants will be able to revive
This ability is not consistent with the principles for   their application for a period of up to 20
the DA Rules of being an applicant driven process,       business days.
and is likely to create administrative problems for
Councils and lead to significant confusion for the
community, particularly submitters

F. As Noosa Council values community                     The draft Bill has been amended slightly to
engagement in its planning and development               require applications that seek to vary a planning
decisions, we have concerns regarding changes            scheme to be advertised for a minimum of 30
that may serve to inhibit, obstruct or minimise          business days and 15 business days for all
resident input. Reductions in public notification        other applications that require public
periods and removal of existing requirements for         notification.
notices to be placed in local newspapers are thus
                                                         Currently under SPA applications are required
not supported and there should be a minimum
                                                         to be advertised for 15 business days and 30
notification period for applications of 20 business
                                                         business days for those applications that have
days. We also have concerns about the proposal
                                                         3 or more state referral agencies or if a
that an applicant may choose to publicly notify a
                                                         preliminary approval is sought overriding the
development application as early as 5 days after
                                                         planning scheme.
the development application is properly made. We
believe submitters are better served under the           The draft Decision Rules requires applicants to
current arrangement where public notification is         publicly notify their application by placement of
able to occur following the information request          a sign on the property and letters to adjoining
period                                                   owners, but Council’s may also require public
                                                         notice in a newspaper.




G. Noosa Council has long enjoyed a locally              Concerns still stand but will best be resolved
popular planning scheme that is in part premised         through the review process for the SEQ
on studies and deliberations concerning the ideal        regional plan.
carrying capacity for our shire. We have concerns
that the Queensland Planning Reform Process may
herald arbitrary enlargements of the Urban
Footprints within the Noosa Shire area

H. Noosa Council does not support proposed               The Bill proposes to extend Infrastructure
changes relating to Community Infrastructure             Designations to private-owned infrastructure
designation that will remove local government            (eg aged care, education and sports facilities)
powers to designate infrastructure. Nor do we            where currently restricted to public-owned
support the proposal for the State Planning Minister     infrastructure. This is a significant policy shift
to be the sole designating Minister for Infrastructure   and would remove due consideration by the
Designation in Queensland and to thus choose             community, third party appeal rights and the
what developments can proceed, be they public or         need to comply with the planning scheme.
private infrastructure, and have them exempt from        Infrastructure charges revenue would be
planning scheme requirements and from                    forfeited and would result in a considerable cost
infrastructure charges; and                              shift onto councils and their local communities.
                                                         Statutory requirements around community
                                                         infrastructure should at a minimum enable
                                                         council to have a statutory role similar to a
                                                         referral agency and allow consideration of local
                                                         planning instruments in the designation
                                                         process.




                                                                                           Page 9 of 110