Another hinterland short-term accommodation (STA) applicant has been successful, with Noosa Council approving the application at 132 Solar Road, Cooroy Mountain.
The two-storey property on 4.5 hectares is approved for eight guests, to be let when the owners are not themselves using it, is a ‘consistent use’ under the rural zoning.
The council currently has no leg to stand on in opposing the application as it’s code assessable, meaning as long as it complies with the conditions as set under that code, there is no mechanism at this time under the Noosa Plan to refuse it, until amendments to the plan can be developed, put out for public consultation, then approved – a process likely to take at least 18 months.
A unamious endorsement from Noosa councillors has been given to defend the refusal of a development application to build a 20-unit complex in flood plain in Church Street, Pomona.
The application was refused in December 2022 due to non-compliance with 2020 Noosa Plan requirements for stormwater and drainage, excessive cut and fill, environmental impacts and unsatisfactory built form.
Councillors have agreed to adopt details contained within a review of its Community Engagement Policy.
Last reviewed in 2017, the policy’s main function is to ensure that, where appropriate, “the decisions that council makes can be meaningfully informed by input from the community through quality engagement processes”.
Noosa Council has unanimously voted to join with other members of the Council of Mayors (SEQ) to collaborate in upgrading waste management across the state.
The state government is investing $2.1 billion into a Waste Package including a $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs fund “to help councils build new resource recovery infrastructure and increase community recycling rates”.
Principles underpinning the plan include ensuring neighbouring councils across the regions work together to ensure households are no worse off, and transition costs to the system are not carried by ratepayers.
It focuses on three areas of action towards the 2030 ‘target state’, including optimising comingled recycling; removing organic waste for landfill and recovering it; and optimising the treatment of residual municipal solid waste.
Telstra has won a tender to design, supply, install and service a digital two-way radio system with GPS location service to Noosa Council’s Disaster Management unit, to ensure more reliable communications in future emergencies and potential disasters in the shire.
It will inter-connect units in the field as well as with office-based resources.
The council-operated Sunrise Shops complex will shortly include a new tenant in the form of a butcher’s shop.
A five-year lease, with an initial rent-free period of six months, has been awarded to Tewantin-based Luke and Kayla Marshall to trade as Butchers of Noosa.
Luke, an experienced butcher of 20 years, was manager of Sunrise Beach Meats between 2002 and 2010 – at the same location – and currently holds a senior position in the highly regarded team at Eumundi Meats in Belmondos Organic Market Complex.
Council has unanimously endorsed a further three-year agreement with Healthy Land & Water to June 2025. Noosa Council has been a member of the Healthy Land & Water network (formerly Healthy Waterways) for the past 21 years.
The annual Report Card from the network provides council with the status of Noosa River’s health among other items. The river recorded an A-minus at the last reading.
This Post Has 2 Comments
It does seem strange that Council should not engage with the community on the issue of community engagement. You are right Barry Cotterell, ‘community’ representation and input too often consists of handpicked people, but Council’s track record on consulting the wider community is also wanting. So called ‘surveys’ are often poorly designed, rigid, and sometimes no more than a set of leading questions from an already established position.
Interesting the Community Engagement Policy was not put out for Community Consultation (Engagement) and if it had been the community may have been able to inform Council of the current problems with its engagements. Too often community members are selected (how is not known) and lectured to by staff as to what is proposed, which is frequently in a glossy brochure.
There is very little time allocated for genuine feedback and the final glossy brochure frequently differs little and reflects to the community who engaged that they wasted their time. There are exceptions but infrequent.