Council updates Noosa’s planning scheme

Noosa Council has made changes to the planning scheme to ensure it’s up to date.

Noosa Mayor Noel Playford said the amendments would update elements of the nine-year-old planning scheme until Council starts work on a new scheme in 2016.

The amendments deal mainly with bushfire and flood hazard mapping, rear setback distances for new homes, and cuts to red tape to support business in the hinterland.

Council updated the flood mapping to include the latest modelling, historical information and new flood mitigation work in Tewantin and Pomona, which alleviates major flood threats for some previously flood-prone properties.

Cr Playford said information from the community had helped shape the amendments, particularly with flood mapping, where photographs and historical information provided were assessed by Council’s consultant.

Setting up some hinterland business enterprises, such as small boutique farms, wellness centres, classes, and bed and breakfast accommodation, will be easier as a result of the changes.

“For example, the amendments will mean a property owner in a rural zone could use up to three of their bedrooms to create a bed and breakfast operation without need for a development approval,” Cr Playford said.

The Sustainable Planning Act requires councils to review their planning schemes at least every 10 years. These amendments will prolong the life of the Noosa Plan until work begins on the new scheme.

The Noosa Plan, which commenced in February 2006, has been amended several times.

The new amendments will now go to the state government for review.

November 20, 2015