Brian O'Connor

BRIAN O'CONNOR Question 1. Will Noosa Council consider stepping up the effectiveness of its pre-development concierge service to people with a good idea who wish to do the right thing by discussing development proposals in depth and ahead of a formal decision being made, so they don't have 'false hope' their proposal will get up at a council meeting; their considerable up-front costs wasted as a consequence? Response by Richard MacGillivray, Director Development and Regulation Pre-lodgement meetings are an important and valuable tool for both the development industry and Council development assessment staff. The meetings, which are commercial in confidence, provide the opportunity for open dialogue outside of the formal development assessment process, with prospective applicants receiving guidance and advice regarding the alignment of their development proposals with the expected outcomes of the Noosa Plan. The meetings are attended by representatives of Council’s development assessment team including senior planners, development engineers, and environment officers. Advice is also regularly sought from other internal branches, including Council’s Strategic Planning branch, to ensure participants are well informed of all related issues and all positive aspects of the proposal. Written notes are also provided to the attendees summarising the issues discussed in the meeting and providing clear guidance on whether the proposal demonstrates compliance with the planning scheme and is likely to be supported at an officer level. Notably, most significant development applications are preceded by a pre-lodgement meeting. In some instances however, prospective applicants choose to proceed with their preferred form of development despite advice of its conflict with the planning scheme. More than 100 pre-lodgement meetings have been held over the past two years. Council encourages participation in these meetings by only requiring a modest fee and ensure meetings are arranged with staff within a short timeframe. It is also encouraged for applicants with larger projects to request multiple pre- lodgement meetings to enable a continuous refinement of the proposal against the provisions of the planning scheme. We are committed to maintaining our engagement with prospective applicants and will continue to encourage participation in pre-lodgement meetings prior to an application being lodged. Question 2. Will Noosa Council make things easier for those wishing to employ people and diversify the local economy in the 'Noosa Way' by bringing forward consideration of the scheduled Employment Land Review? Response by Kim Rawlings, Director Strategy and Environment The Employment Land Review is currently being finalised. Key outcomes of the report will include the identification of employment trends and opportunities and how that impacts available employment land and what those implications are for Noosa. In particular, identifying how existing land zoned for industrial and innovation can be used efficiently and what the future land requirements may be to deliver a diverse economy and employment growth. The report will also make recommendations regarding the provisions in Noosa Plan 2020 to support employment outcomes including considering levels of assessment. These outcomes will be discussed with Council once complete.