FAQs

Whilst  Noosa Plan 2020 commenced  mid-2020, it was prepared in 2018 and informed by planning studies completed earlier. As circumstances change, and new issues and challenges arise, it is necessary to keep Noosa Plan 2020 relevant and up to date.

Over the last six years much has changed. Various investigations and planning studies have been undertaken and new Council and State policy positions formed. Significantly, the proposed amendments implement recommendations of the Noosa Housing Strategy and the Short-term Accommodation Monitoring Report prepared in 2022. 

The proposed amendments seek to improve the operation of Noosa Plan 2020, specifically facilitating greater housing and employment choice, and addressing short-term accommodation. 

The proposed amendments also implement additional requirements set by the Minister’s conditions when Noosa Plan 2020 was approved.  

The Medium Density Residential zone is intended to accommodate various forms of multiple dwellings, depending on the size of the lot. 

 The extent of Medium Density Residential land is limited and needs to be used efficiently. 

New detached dwelling houses are not an efficient use of Medium Density zoned land, accordingly it is  proposed that a detached house  be an inconsistent use in the zone.

The proposed amendments do not affect existing dwelling houses. The Planning Act 2016 specifically protects existing uses and rights when planning schemes are amended. 

However, an increase in the scale and intensity of an existing use is considered a material change of use (MCU). 

Therefore, substantially changing the scale of a house, or replacing an existing house may trigger an MCU application. In these instances, the planning provisions in force at the time the use is changed will apply. This is also relevant for adding a secondary dwelling.

Fact Sheet 3 provides details on the proposed changes for the Medium Density Residential zone.

Short-term accommodation will be an inconsistent use in the Medium and High Density Residential zones. New development must only include housing for occupation by permanent residents, not visitors.

Occasional short-term accommodation will only be permitted in a resident’s principal place of residence and limited to no more than 4 times and totalling no more than 60 days in any calendar year. 

For clarity, short-term accommodation cannot occur in a secondary dwelling.

Fact Sheets 3 and 4 provide details on the proposed changes for the Medium Density and High Density Residential zones. Fact Sheet 11 specifically addresses short term accommodation

If you have a development approval or lawful existing use rights to undertake short-term accommodation , you can continue to do so. If you sell the property all development approvals and lawful use rights transfer to the new owner.

If your property does not have a development approval or lawful existing use rights for short-term accommodation, you cannot commence letting the property to short stay visitors.

For example, if your property was approved under the former Noosa Plan 2006 as Multiple Housing Type 2 (duplex) or Multiple Housing Type 4 (conventional) or was approved under Noosa Plan 2020 as a Dual Occupancy or Multiple Dwelling, you will not have approval or lawful existing use rights for short-term accommodation. The exception is only where you have specifically gained development approval for short-term or visitor accommodation.

Fact Sheets 3 and 4 provide details on the proposed changes for the Medium Density and High Density Residential zones. Fact Sheet 11 specifically addresses short term accommodation

The proposed zone changes provide clarity on the desired future development and land use outcomes for sites, should they redevelop. 

The proposed zone changes do not affect current lawful uses on the site. Properties with a development approval or lawful existing use rights for short-term accommodation and/or permanent occupation can continue to operate under their current approval conditions or existing use rights, regardless of the proposed zone changes. 

The proposed zone changes will not alter current development allowances in terms of built form such as building height and gross floor area. In particular: 

• Sites proposed for inclusion in the High Density Residential zone, District Centre zone or Neighbourhood Centre zone with a current height limit up to 3 stories will maintain this height allowance, despite proposed zone changes.
• Sites proposed for inclusion in the High Density Residential zone will maintain their existing gross floor area allowances with an additional 10% bonus gross floor area available  if the affordable housing provisions are taken up. A 3 storey height limit will be maintained.
• Sites allowing for mixed use development on Gympie Terrace will continue to allow for ground floor commercial uses and offices above.
• Sites within Noosaville proposed for inclusion in the District Centre zone will be included in a Noosaville Mainstreet precinct which will  allow for a broader range of commercial uses.

The current gross floor area and 3 storey height allowance will remain unchanged for  sites within this precinct. An additional 0.3:1 gross floor area is allowed for sites above 2000m² consistent with the District Centre zone provisions.

• Sites in Duke Street, Sunshine Beach proposed for inclusion in the Neighbourhood Centre zone will be allowed a broader range of commercial uses and will maintain their existing gross floor area and 3 storey height allowance.

In both the Rural and Rural Residential zones, occasional short-term accommodation will only be permitted in a resident’s principal place of residence and limited to no more than 4 times and totalling no more than 60 days in any calendar year. 

Otherwise, short-term accommodation is permitted in the form of a farm stay, cottages or cabins, and only when the resident remains on site, with the site being their principal place of residence. 

 A Home-based business (bed and breakfast) and Nature-based tourism are separately defined uses. These also need to be within or associated with the applicant’s principal place of residence.  

 Fact Sheet 11 specifically addresses short term accommodation.

There is a significant unmet housing need in Noosa Shire. This includes:

• housing for key workers;
• housing suitable for older residents and people with disabilities;
• housing for people in crisis or escaping unsafe circumstances;
• entry level housing for first home buyers; and
• people qualifying for housing assistance.

The established housing stock in Noosa Shire is dominated by large detached houses, and not affordable for many residents. 

To meet resident housing needs, the following dwelling types need to increase:

• smaller 1 or 2 bedroom units;
• accessible homes and community residences;
• rooming accommodation and co-housing models; 
• secondary dwellings; and
• relocatable tiny homes, etc.

The proposed amendments seek to ensure the delivery of a range of housing types to increase housing choice and affordability in good locations, close to services and transport. 

This is balanced against maintaining the Noosa look and feel and character. 

Fact Sheet 10 provides more detail on the proposed changes for housing choice.

Three quarters of existing housing in Noosa Shire consists of dwellings of 3 or more bedrooms, however two thirds of households consist of just 1-2 people. 

There is finite capacity for additional dwellings in Noosa Shire, particularly close to centres, transport and services. 

We therefore need to maximise the proportion of small dwellings in future development, suitable for 1-2 person households. 

The proposed amendments seek to ensure most new dwellings are small dwellings (no more than 75m² GFA), Specifically: 

• In Centre zones, and key sites adjoining Major Centres, all new dwellings must be small dwellings and no more than 75m² GFA. 
• In the Medium and High Density Residential zones, at least 75% of dwellings must be small dwellings and no more than 75m² GFA.  

GFA does not include the area allocated to outdoor living or carparking.

Small dwellings require less car parking than larger dwellings.

The proposed amendments aim to improve both suitability and affordability of housing, however it is recognised the size of dwellings alone does not guarantee affordability, therefore additional bonus provisions are also proposed for affordable rental premises.   

Fact Sheet 10 provides more detail on the proposed changes for housing choice and affordable rental premises.

For clarity, the planning scheme is not proposing to control the market sale price of residential units to make them affordable, but in return for bonus provisions (incentives), seek certain premises remain as affordable rental premises for 30 years. 

Fact Sheet 10 (Housing choice) provides more detail on the proposed changes for affordable rental premises.

Council proposes to use conditions of the development approval, an Infrastructure Agreement, and a Use Covenant to secure the affordable rental premises. Council will provide draft templates for the Infrastructure Agreement and Use Covenant. In addition to the usual conditions of approval, it is likely additional conditions relating to the number of proposed affordable rental premises, location and gross floor area of the affordable rental premises will be included.  

 The proposed process to provide affordable rental premises is:

• Pre-lodgement meeting with Council to discuss:
  1. Number of affordable rental premises;
  2. Incentives, mechanisms and process;
  3. Conditions of approval (additional), infrastructure agreement and use covenant; and
  4. Will strongly encourage discussion with a Community Housing Provider
• Submit a development application:
  1. a draft infrastructure agreement and use covenant will be provided to the landowner;
  2. the development application will be decided by Council; and
• Post development:
  1. Development approval for operational works and building approval are still required;
  2. Plan sealing application; and
  3. Use covenant must be registered on title prior to the commencement of use.

The new Planning Scheme Policy SC6.12 – PSP11 Provision of Affordable Rental Premises explains the mechanisms and process in detail.

Noosa Business Centre currently consists of Noosa Civic shopping centre, showrooms and some services. It is intended future development adjacent to the Civic Shopping Centre creates a mixed-use village along a new main street and civic space where people will live, work and socialise, not just shop. 

A contemporary main street with small dwellings above commercial, retail and hospitality uses, and a multi-purpose village green will provide for both formal and informal recreation.

A new transit hub will be centrally located and new residential zones will provide small dwellings for residents with bonus incentives for affordable rental housing. 

The Innovation zone will be developed for new and innovative economic sectors including creative industries, knowledge industry, digital economy, emerging technology and environmental research industries. 

Fact Sheet 6 provides more detail on the proposed changes for the Noosa Business Centre and Fact Sheet 7 provides information on the Innovation Zone.

No. Noosa Council prepared the proposed amendments long before the SEQ Regional Plan (ShapingSEQ) was updated in late 2023. If the State Government determines additional amendments are required to achieve the dwelling targets and housing diversity outcomes within ShapingSEQ 2023, separate alignment amendments will be proposed at a later date.

All written submissions are reviewed and reported to Council for consideration. Council will consider submissions and decide whether to proceed with the amendments as proposed or modify the amendments in response to submissions. 

Following this, a consultation report will be published on Council’s website outlining how each submission was considered, and submitters will be notified.

To make a submission or just to find out more information, go to Council’s Your Say platform www.yoursay.noosa@qld.gov.au and complete the Properly Made Submission form.

Existing use rights are protected under State planning legislation. This means that a detached house lawfully established has existing use rights and is not impacted by the proposed amendments.

Under the proposed amendments a landowner is also able to replace an existing detached house (whether it may have been burnt down in a fire or requires replacement due to age etc) with a new detached house even if the zoning has changed. 

It is only in very limited situations where there might be a material change in the intensity or scale of the detached house (i.e. significant change in the size and scale of the previous dwelling to the proposed replacement detached house) that may trigger an impact assessable development approval. 

The other situations where a new dwelling may trigger an impact assessable material change of use is where:

• A detached house has never existed on the land, and it is proposed to build a new detached house.
• The re-establishment of a use that has been abandoned. For example, a detached house has been demolished and it is proposed to build a new detached house after the site has been left vacant for an extended period.