Planning & Environment Committee Meeting - 7 April 2026
Date: Tuesday, 7 April 2026 at 9:30AM
Location: Noosa Shire Council Chambers , 9 Pelican Street , Tewantin , QLD 4565 , Australia
Organiser: Noosa Shire Council
Duration: 00:10:41
Synopsis: Delegated decisions noted with one refusal for improper referral, Noosa Blue short‑term accom. conversion retaining manager’s unit, No SPS short‑term accom. surge, Transparency upheld, Compliance monitored.
Meeting Attendees
Committee Members
Amelia Lorentson Brian Stockwell Tom Wegener Frank Wilkie Non-Committee Members
Executive Officers
Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Acting Director Development & Regulation Patrick Murphy AI-Generated Meeting Insight
Key Decisions & Discussions Amelia Lorentson: Declared meeting open and progressed directly to Item 7.1, the sole report for decision (00:02; Item 7.1). Nadine Gordon: Reported 28 delegated decisions in February: 27 approvals, 1 refusal; matters ranged from minor house extensions in riparian zones, a 0.095 m over‑height dwelling non‑compliance, industrial extensions, one lot reconfiguration, and various operational works (02:23–03:06; Item 7.1). Brian Stockwell: Queried the single refusal described as an “early referral response” case (03:11–04:02; Item 7.1). Patrick Murphy: Clarified refusal basis: applicant sought a referral response without a certifier’s confirmation notice; treated as an early referral response and “not considered a properly made” referral under the Act, changing timeframes/requirements (03:27–04:09; Item 7.1). Amelia Lorentson: Probed an STA increase on Noosa Drive; identified as Noosa Blue Resort where a former caretakers unit was approved for short‑term letting while a separate managers unit remains (04:09–05:23; Item 7.1). Nadine Gordon: Explained historical approval complexity at Noosa Blue; conversion allows short‑term use of the former caretakers unit while maintaining the managers unit, aligning with existing conditions framework (04:31–05:23; Item 7.1). Frank Wilkie: Asked whether there has been a “flood” of superseded planning scheme (SPS) STA applications since amendments; response: only one SPS application to date, in a rural area, still undecided (05:35–06:05; Item 7.1). Amelia Lorentson: Noted an SPS approval at Eumundi Noosa Rd for service industry and food/drink; sought rationale for using SPS rather than Noosa Plan 2020 (06:05–06:33; Item 7.1). Patrick Murphy: Advised the question’s detail exceeded a “report for noting”; offered to respond offline to ensure completeness (06:33–06:51; Item 7.1). Brian Stockwell: Moved to note the delegated decisions report; seconded; carried unanimously (06:51–07:41; Item 7.1). All Councillors: Formally recorded unanimous carriage noting February delegated decisions (Item 7.1; Minutes record vote). Amelia Lorentson: Confirmed no items for noting and no confidential session; meeting closed (10:07; Minutes closure 9:41am). Contentious / Transparency Matters Patrick Murphy: Transparency safeguarded by declining to provide partial on‑the‑spot rationale for the SPS approval, committing to a detailed offline response to avoid incomplete public record (06:33–06:51; Item 7.1). Frank Wilkie: Sought clarity on feared surge of SPS STA applications post‑amendments; data point given publicly (only one to date) counters community anxiety narratives (05:35–06:05; Item 7.1). Delegations Report: Publication and tabling of 28 delegated outcomes maintains visibility into non‑meeting decisions, supporting accountability (Item 7.1; Minutes). Chairing: Clear on‑record Q&A regarding STA at Noosa Blue and early referral refusal improves audit trail for planning discretion (04:09–05:23; 03:27–04:09; Item 7.1). Legal / Risk Referral Validity: Early referral response refusal hinged on lack of certifier confirmation notice; not a “properly made” referral under the Act, mitigating process‑risk and precedent creep (03:27–04:09; Item 7.1). Compliance: Noted minor over‑height non‑compliance (0.095 m) indicates active code enforcement; underscores risk of cumulative variance if not consistently managed (02:23–03:06; Item 7.1). Riparian Works: Approvals for house extensions within riparian zones raise environmental compliance sensitivities; reliance on conditions and operational works oversight is implied risk control (02:23–03:06; Item 7.1). SPS Pathway: One SPS approval (Eumundi Noosa Rd) accepted; without on‑record reasoning, council prudently defers details to avoid error, but should document statutory tests (need, reasonableness, superseded rights) in follow‑up to reduce appeal risk (06:05–06:51; Item 7.1). Delegations: Volume of delegated determinations requires robust instrument of delegation and QA to avoid ultra vires risk; tabling aids defensibility (Item 7.1; Minutes). Short Term Accommodation and Planning Scheme Implementation Noosa Blue Resort: Council supported converting a historic caretakers unit to STA while retaining a separate managers unit, resolving legacy approval complexity without losing on‑site management presence (04:09–05:23; Item 7.1). Market Signal: Despite concern, no “flood” of SPS STA applications post‑amendments; only one SPS lodged (rural), pending (05:35–06:05; Item 7.1). Policy Posture: Dialogue indicates council is enforcing STA settings while allowing case‑by‑case legacy rationalisation where management capacity remains (04:09–05:23; Item 7.1). Development Assessment and Technical Matters Portfolio Mix: February DA outcomes included industrial extensions, a lot reconfiguration, and operational works, reflecting steady pipeline beyond residential alterations (02:23–03:06; Item 7.1). Procedural Evolution: Early referral handling has been in place “six months,” suggesting bedding‑in of process improvements and applicant education needs (04:05–04:09; Item 7.1). Workload Transparency: Public noting highlights the breadth of delegated approvals “happening all the time,” per mayoral remarks, reassuring throughput (06:59–07:41; Item 7.1). Environmental and Design Compliance Riparian Sensitivity: House extensions in riparian zones necessitate stringent conditions to protect waterways; approvals indicate council applies controls rather than blanket refusals (02:23–03:06; Item 7.1). Built Form Control: Over‑height non‑compliance instances are being scrutinised; even minor exceedances are recorded, signaling adherence to Noosa’s height discipline (02:23–03:06; Item 7.1).
Official Meeting Minutes
MINUTES Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Tuesday, 7 April 2026 9:30 AM Council Chambers, 9 Pelican Street, Tewantin Committee: Crs Amelia Lorentson (Chair), Brian Stockwell, Frank Wilkie, Tom Wegener “Noosa Shire – different by nature” PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 7 APRIL 2026 1 DECLARATION OF OPENING The meeting was declared open at 9.30am. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Noosa Council respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of the Noosa area, the Kabi Kabi people, and pays respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. 3 ATTENDANCE & APOLOGIES COMMITTEE MEMBERS Cr Amelia Lorentson (Chair) Cr Brian Stockwell Cr Tom Wegener (via Microsoft Teams) Cr Frank Wilkie NON COMMITTEE MEMBERS Cr Karen Finzel EXECUTIVE Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock Acting Director Development & Regulation Patrick Murphy APOLOGIES Nil. 4 CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES 4.1 PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES DATED 10 MARCH 2026 Committee Resolution Moved: Cr Brian Stockwell Seconded: Cr Frank Wilkie The Minutes of the Planning & Environment Committee Meeting held on 10 March 2026 be received and confirmed. Carried. For: Cr Amelia Lorentson, Cr Brian Stockwell, Cr Tom Wegener, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None 5. PRESENTATIONS Nil. 6. DEPUTATIONS Nil. PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 7 APRIL 2026 7 REPORTS FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMITTEE 7.1 PLANNING APPLICATIONS DECIDED BY DELEGATED AUTHORITY – FEBRUARY 2026 Committee Recommendation Moved: Cr Frank Wilkie Seconded: Cr Brian Stockwell That Council note the report by the Development Assessment Manager to the Planning and Environment Committee Meeting dated 7 April 2026 regarding applications that have been decided by delegated authority for February 2026 as provided at Attachment 1 to the Report. Carried. For: Cr Amelia Lorentson, Cr Brian Stockwell, Cr Tom Wegener, Cr Frank Wilkie Against: None 8 REPORTS FOR NOTING BY THE COMMITTEE Nil. 9 CONFIDENTIAL SESSION Nil. 10 MEETING CLOSURE The meeting closed at 9.41am
Meeting Transcript
Amelia Lorentson 00:02.660
Good morning and welcome everyone to the Planning & Environment Committee Meeting Tuesday 7th of April and it's now 9:30am. I declare the meeting open. I'd like to firstly begin by acknowledging an Acknowledgement of Country. Noosa Council proudly acknowledges and respects Australia's First Nations people and their deep and abiding connection to this country. We pay respect to Kabi Kabi people who are the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters of the Noosa area and we offer gratitude for their careful custodianship of this unique environment over thousands of years. We pay respect to current and emerging leaders and again to their enduring commitment in pursuing a strong healthy future for First Nations people. There are no apologies. I note everyone's in attendance. Mayor Wilkie, Deputy Mayor Brian Stockwell. I note Councillor Tom Wegener is online. Welcome. And we have one Councillor in the gallery as an observer. Welcome Councillor Finzel. Before we commence the meeting, I request that everyone have their phones on silent or turned off. Go straight into the meeting. Confirmation of minutes. Can I please have a mover and a seconder for confirmation of minutes? So moved. Second. Thank you. No discussion. All in favour? Aye. Thank you. That's unanimous. Thank you Sally. We now go to our one and only report for consideration of the committee this beautiful Tuesday morning. Report 7.1 planning applications decided by delegated authority and I welcome to the desk Nadine Gordon for your last, very last meeting and we're going to sincerely miss you and welcome also Patrick, can I request you give us an overview of the report in front of us? Nadine Gordon 02:22.112
Certainly. Good morning councillors. For our final report this round, we have 28 decisions that were issued under delegated authority for the month of February. There are a range of applications from minor extensions to houses in the riparian zone, non-compliance with houses slightly over height by 0.095, we've got extensions to industrial buildings. One reconfiguration of a lot and some other various changes in operational works. 28 were considered, 27 were approved and one was refused Amelia Lorentson 03:06.921
Thank you Nadine, the questions around the desk, councillors Brian Stockwell 03:12.298
Is an interesting one. An early referral response planning and it was for additions so this is where we referred it to another agency and they've written the refusal isn't it or is it something different? Patrick Murphy 03:27.130
Referral agency response that we provide for it to be properly made an application needs to be accompanied by the application that's made to the certifier and their confirmation notice so in circumstances where they've just come straight to council to get a referral response without first obtaining the confirmation notice from the certifier we do it as an early referral agency response it just changes the time frames and requirements and it's not considered a properly made referral in accordance with the act thank you. We haven't come across that long people. Amelia Lorentson 04:05.647
We've been doing it for six months. Nadine I note that there is an approval for another change to include a unit for short-term accommodation along Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads. Can you walk me through why this extra STA unit was supported. Nadine Gordon 04:27.500
Which one's that sorry is that a page I have a is that on Noosa Drive? Yeah is that yeah TP 12585 TC. That's the Noosa Blue Resort. Oh okay. So that was there was a fair bit going on with the Noosa Blue Resort. There were three applications that were put through. So they have they had an existing caretaker's unit and as part of that caretaker's unit they also had a manager's unit. It's an old approval it was a bit messy they wanted to change the caretaker's unit to short-term and they were still maintaining the manager's unit as well. So Noosa Blue Resort it's basically that so there was a condition requiring that caretaker's unit to be retained for caretakers but they still had this managers which they were using as well. So the managers that's right yes so it's being retained and the caretakers is being able to be used for short-term. Thank you. Mayor Wilkie? Frank Wilkie 05:37.490
Not that I've noticed in the reporting but has there been a flood of superseded planning scheme applications for short-term accommodation as some people feared? And we're advocating against the implementation the plans from the members on that basis. Patrick Murphy 05:51.940
No, there certainly has not been a flood of applications. If I'm correct we have had one application which is yet to be decided. Amelia Lorentson 06:00.923
So even that was in the rural area thank you I note there is a superseded planning scheme application in the report in front of us and it was approved for Eumundi Noosa Road, Noosaville. A request for SPS or service industry and Food & Drink Outlet. What was the main reason why this SPS request was supported instead of them using the Noosa Plan 2020? Patrick Murphy 06:33.236
It's a very detailed question. Councillor, for a report for noting. It would be preferable to take that offline and to provide you with a response in writing as I propose to giving you a short response now that might not encompass all the detail that's required. Thank you. Brian Stockwell 06:51.468
Happy to move it, Madam Chair. Second. Amelia Lorentson 06:56.500
Would you like to speak the delegated authority? Frank Wilkie 06:59.401
Thank you, Madam Chair. Just thank you very much for the monthly reporting on the shows. Anyone who's interested, the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes under delegated authority. There's a lot of approvals that are happening all the time. Again, on behalf of this council, thank you very much for your excellent service over many years. Your professionalism has been appreciated and will be missed and we wish you every happiness in the next phase of life. Thank you. Patrick Murphy 07:30.590
Look great Brian Stockwell 07:38.134
yes, it is a name of an era for him. This is the last painting of orkney and also because nadine's retiring. She will be missed particularly for those complex applications like we had for recent hotel development and others where her long-standing expertise. Nadine was Dean many moons ago side for a while and came back and has been an asset to the organisation. Then I wish you well in all your mountain biking endeavours. Amelia Lorentson 08:11.043
Thank you. And I'm just going to add one small thing, Nadine. I know in community you are very, very well respected and held in high esteem and I hope you enjoy your retirement. You so deserve it. You're hard working and again, and really respected, so I'm going to miss you. I'll see you at the beach. Absolutely. And Tom, would you like to say a few words? Tom Wegener 08:43.400
Yes, Nadine, my gosh, your reports great. It's been a real pleasure to work and listen to you and read your reports. And debate with you at times. It's just been a real pleasure. You've just been an amazing person, an amazing asset to Noosa Council. And we hope all the best for you in your retirement. And I'm glad you're retiring while you're still young and vivacious because some people put it off way too long. So go out there and enjoy life. Nadine Gordon 09:12.282
Thank you. Tom I will Amelia Lorentson 09:16.717
Councillor Finzel, would you like to speak? Yes. Karen Finzel 09:21.817
Yes, Thank you. For the opportunity to speak. Nadine, your contribution. This organisation and the broader community is being well celebrated and I'd like to just add my thanks for working with you, your technical expertise, your tenacity attitude when we've worked on really difficult things through some tumultuous times has been truly appreciated. I wish you all the best with your future endeavours and enjoy your retirement which has been well-earned. Thank you, Karen. Thank you for the conversation. Will miss you. Nadine Gordon 10:02.766
Thank you. Amelia Lorentson 10:04.206
Thanks. My plans. They're staying. Thank you all. And there are no reports for noting by the committee. There is no confidential session and I now. Just need to vote on that one. Oh excuse me. We've got a mover and a seconder. Discussion. Any. All those in favour? Unanimous? Tom? Councillor Wegener? Aye. So that's unanimous. Thank you Sally. So I've now closed the meeting on this beautiful day. It is now 9:41am. Related Noosa Council Meetings
← Browse all Noosa Shire Council meeting transcripts
