Pat Spicer

10:35 Mayor Wilkie: Two questions is from Ms Pat Spicer, who is here. Ms Spicer, can I come back and read your two questions please, which will be answered by Kim Mornings, Director of Environment and Strategy.

10:47 Pat Spicer: Through the Chair, for background information. In 1970, the Lands Department miscalculated Noosaville Shire's need for cemetery space for the next 50 to 100 years, so allowed the land to be privately purchased. The 1999 Council had refused two applications to the subdivision, and the second application was the expansion of blocks on 62 Lake McDonald Drive, Cooroy, because the land does not have suitable access from its own frontage. The 1999 Council purchased the land for cemetery expansion, because the Shire's cemeteries were showing a need for Council to consider acquiring more land for cemetery use. With this site sharing a boundary with the existing cemetery, it provided an opportunity for easy expansion. This was forwarded to the City Council, and the City Council made a decision in response All of this was part of planning to meet a core responsibility of council. Cemetery space was not an immediate need, but a DA for cemetery use was submitted in 2008 with the intention of activation of that DA in the next 15 years. For residents who purchase nearby properties after 1999, it is a justifiable expectation that land purchased for cemetery remains the intent use of the land.

12:03 Because there isn't development on the site, does not mean the site was not serving an important purpose. My question, Noosa Council's Facebook page post on the 28th of January 2025 refers to the land at Lake MacDonald Drive, Cooroy as unused, despite its zoning for community facilities and its allocation for cemetery expansion in 1999 with a supporting DA in 2008. Local residents, including those who, as children, played on this land in the 1960s, have long used the land for recreation. What are the reasons the council considers the land unused?

12:49 Mayor Wilkie: Director Rawlings, welcome.

12:57 Director Rawlings: Thanks for the question Pat. So the 2008 development approval lapsed in August 2012. The land has been controlled and was never used or acted upon. The land is zoned community facilities under the Noosa Plan 2020 and owned by council. However, while some residents have informally used the site as open space, the land has never been formally a park or open space area and its uses for that never encouraged. It has been fallow since council acquired the property. The land was contaminated and when council was notified of this, signs were erected and restriction to public access to the area. The land is currently being remediated. Council has a responsibility to plan and to benefit the whole community, not only in relation to cemetery purposes but a wide range of other community purposes and needs. Housing is one of those needs to be planned for. Our Shire is experiencing a significant long-term housing crisis and once remediated, social housing is proposed on a portion of the site. This will contribute to much needed affordable housing. Community consultation for the use of the proposed lots to improve housing.

14:05 Pat Spicer: Christian Chief, Peck Brown Information. First I will refer you to the Zoned Map of Cooroy, but unfortunately I was looking into it on the Zoned Map. Staff has stated that as soon as one of the amendments has been adopted, planning staff are working on what changes need to be made to address future site development. The update 9, March update to the housing strategy, gives an indication of some of the current planning for future development. For example, The staff have reviewed various housing types that have turned gentle density under shaping South East Queenstown to a part-time heritage advisor position where strategic planning team has been approved to assist with character guidelines and recruitment is underway. I'll give these as examples of planning that's going on. Council has marked land in Garnet Street with a red boundary on the zone map labelled further consultation zone change in the ledger. This map has been in effect since your say for amendment 2, so this consideration has been operational for a number of years already. With further amendments to the Noosa plan under consideration, what is Council's specific plan for this land, which is currently zoned environmental and conservation and includes privately owned low density residential.

15:35 Director Rawlings: So just also acknowledging that I understand that one of our staff had a contact with you Pat, just to confirm the lot in question. Yes. So in that context it's been confirmed with Pat which lot the question refers to. The split zoned property, privately owned lot in Garnet Street, Cooroy, has a small portion of zoned low density residential Yes. and a large portion of zoned environmental conservation and management to protect native vegetation on the lot. The native vegetation is also covered by the biodiversity overlay being an area of biodiversity significance. The environmental management and conservation area of this lot also sits outside the urban boundary. The zoning of this lot has not been or proposed to be changed under any of the Noosa plan 2020 amendments. Previously in the 2006 plan scheme the whole lot was zoned detached housing, the equivalent zoning to the lot to low density residential under the current Noosa plan. Under the first Noosa plan 2020 the lot was split zoned to protect the native vegetation and continued as this zoned since. Council currently has no specific plans for this lot. Thank you.

16:39 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you Director Lawrence. Thank you Pat Spicer.