Statement from Council regarding Noosa Business Centre development

Last year, Council and Stockwell Developments reached an agreement that permitted the next stage of the Noosa Business Centre to proceed.

Much of the clearing has been completed, with a number of stringent environmental conditions in place to protect wildlife while work was under way.

The developer was required to enlist a fauna spotter to check the site – including all tree hollows – for fauna before any clearing began, while any koalas on the site were to be allowed to move out of the area without intervention before work began.

A 7.9ha area will remain vegetated until the buildings are approved for construction.

The initial clearing allows for the extension of Hofmann Drive through to Walter Hay Drive, completion of the internal road network and construction of stormwater pipes and bushfire mitigation measures.

A 10-metre wide tree protection zone around the perimeter of the business centre site will preserve the tree-lined entry to Noosa via Walter Hay Drive.

Under the approval, Stockwell Developments will transfer a 4912sqm lot to Council for a regional transit centre within the Noosa Business Centre precinct.

In exchange, Council will fund koala offset planting required under the planning scheme and the state legislation.

This will provide new koala habitat and food trees on land protected in perpetuity from development to support Noosa’s koala population.

Nearly 10.3 hectares of vegetation was retained for conservation in the first stage of the centre.

Development of the site for the Noosa Business Centre has been in planning for a long time, with a master plan first prepared in the 1990s.  

The Noosa Business Centre is intended to provide a range of different employment types and a mix of business, retail, administrative, community and industrial uses.

The first stage included Noosa Civic shopping centre, the Emporium showrooms and offices, with the remaining development to provide further opportunities for office and new business enterprises to assist in diversifying Noosa’s economy.