2018-08-07 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                   7 AUGUST 2018


2.2. Site Description & Surrounding Land Uses
The site is an irregular shaped parcel of land and comprises an area of 4.43 hectares. The site
slopes gently from the western boundary down to the eastern boundary towards a well vegetated
watercourse which forms part of the open space system in the surrounding Noosa Parkland
estate. This area is well vegetated with a range of melaleuca, casuarina and eucalypt species,
but with some limited areas of mown grass. Land to the west, north and east is zoned for
residential development and contains residential dwellings of one to two storeys. The eastern
boundary adjoins parkland, with Wooroi State Forest located opposite the site on the southern
side of Cooroy Noosa Road.
2.3. Pre-lodgement Discussions
A formal pre-lodgement meeting was held with the applicant’s key consultants and
representatives of the property owner on 4 September 2017. The discussions focussed on the
primary planning issues to be assessed including flooding, stormwater management, car parking,
bushfire, and vegetation retention.
Biodiversity was identified as a critical issue given the proximity to National Park areas, retained
vegetation and the aged care use proposed.
Advice provided included:
     The unique habitat requirements of the threatened species, which require paperbark
     swamps, tannin-stained pools, acidic waters, suitable understory and canopy trees, are
     present on the site and prone to degradation. Threatened species including Wallum frogs,
     Tusked frogs, and Crayfish, have been identified in and around the area. Their specialised
     habitat requirement restricts their distribution to isolated patches and, in turn, makes their
     existence vulnerable to change. Hydrological changes including quality and quantity,
     development encroachment and increased levels of pollution are all potentially threatening.
     Expansion of the development footprint to the east will result in the loss of suitable habitat
     for threatened species and cause localised extinctions. Management of the lands for
     amenity, bushfire, tree hazards, flooding and other land management practices associated
     with the use, will result in the degradation of the remaining habitat.
     The Noosa Plan Biodiversity Overlay Code does not support development expanding
     eastwards of its current footprint due to the impacts on the fauna and flora habitat present.
A further meeting was also held with the applicants, including an inspection of the site attended
by Council’s Environment Officer and the applicant’s ecologist. At this meeting officers advised
that while a further extension to Carramar could be supported into the disturbed areas of the site
identified by the Biodiversity Overlay given the need for aged care in Noosa, officers would be
unlikely to support the extent of extensions proposed into the wetland vegetation. Officers further
recommended that Carramar investigate other potential sites for future expansions of Carramar.


3.   ASSESSMENT
3.1. Instruments for Statutory Assessment
Under the Planning Act 2016 the application must be assessed against each of the following
statutory planning instruments to the extent they are relevant to the development:
 State Planning Policy;
 South East Queensland Regional Plan;
 Planning Regulation 2017;
 The Noosa Plan.



                                                                                     Page 22 of 74