NOOSA HOUSING STRATEGY - 12 MONTH UPDATE · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                        11 DECEMBER 2023


advocate to other levels of government, which is ongoing.

For many other actions Council's role is that of Planner or Regulator. Council has planned for an
appropriate provision of housing and this has been spelt out within the Housing Supply Statement
recently furnished to the State Government as part of the SEQ Regional Planning review process.
Council has reviewed Noosa Plan 2020 and associated policies and proposed amendments to
improve housing supply, housing choice, sustainable design, housing affordability, and housing
diversity. The proposed amendments have been subject to State Interest Review for several
months. At the time of preparing this report, it is understood the proposed amendments are with the
Minister's office with a recommendation they be approved, subject to conditions, for the purpose of
community consultation.

Outside of Noosa Plan 2020, Council can use levers such as rates, development application fees,
development assessment timelines and infrastructure charges as other means of incentivising
positive housing outcomes. These measures are currently being analysed with recommendations to
come before Council as part of the next budget review.

Council staff have been proactively partnering with State Government (particularly Department of
Housing) including assistance with informing decisions to purchase properties for housing and to
scope the feasibility of development. Since signing a memorandum of understanding with Coast2Bay
community housing provider, a strong working partnership has developed with very positive
prospects for community housing to be developed in the Shire. Council staff have also assisted
other not for profit organisations to identify prospects for crisis or community housing, either on land
already secured or by identifying potential properties known to be on the market. Some proposals
are understood to be advancing through planning and design stages. Strategic planners provide
planning advice regularly to anybody with a proposal for housing choice.

The Housing Strategy makes clear that Council will not become a direct housing provider but will
partner with community housing providers and other levels of government in the delivery of housing
by reviewing and making available suitable land holdings and other resources to facilitate delivery of
social and affordable housing. To this end, investigations on the potential dwelling yield and building
design have commenced for Council's carparks at Bottlebrush Avenue, Noosa Junction and Sidoni
Street and Doonella Street Tewantin. More immediately, progress has been made with the
investigation of Council's land at 62 Lake Macdonald Drive Cooroy which is subject of a separate
report to Council.

Update on State Legislative and Policy Reviews
The last 12 months has seen various initiatives at a State and Regional level pitched at addressing
the housing crisis. Some of these initiatives have had, or have potential to have, significance to
Noosa Shire.

In December 2022, the Planning Regulation 2017 was amended to provide for state-wide
consistency and support for small-scale rooming accommodation. As Noosa Plan 2020 already
made rooming accommodation of no more than 5 bedrooms and 5 residents acceptable subject to
requirements (self assessable), this change had the affect of making them accepted development.
At the same time regulation changes allowed Local Governments to make applications for a dwelling
house assessable development in the medium and high density residential zones - a change we had
advocated for since 2018.

In April 2023, the Planning (Inclusionary Zoning Strategy) Bill 2023 was introduced into the
Queensland parliament by the Member for South Brisbane, and referred to the State Development
and Regional Industries Committee for consideration. Council staff prepared and lodged a detailed
submission to this bill during the consultation period, supporting the intent but raising concerns about
likely functionality and consequences. The bill was not passed.