Development Issues

Current Status of Application

Lake Weyba is currently under threat from the speculator, Godfrey Mantle’s “Noosa On Weyba” high density urban development proposal.

The further information requested was lodged on the 28 October 2013 and the public notification stage commenced immediately, with submissions closing on the 10 December 2013.

An unprecedented number of objections to the application were lodged.  Over 1500 individual submitters voiced their concern about this contentious, inappropriate and unjustified proposal for urban density in a ecologically sensitive rural and open space conservation area.

IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THIS CONTENTIOUS PROPOSAL, THEN HAVE YOUR SAY!

SIGN OUR PETITION here” ! !

Appropriately, after de-amalgamation of the Noosa area, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council passed the Assessment Manager role to the new Noosa Shire Council.  The proposal finds itself now straddled across two local government areas.  The community of interest and impact will be the Noosa area which will need to supply all services.

The Sunshine Coast Council is a concurrence agency for the 56% of the proposed density that is located within it’s local government boundaries and the council will make a determination on Thursday 30th January 2014.  Council planning staff and independant experts have recommended to Council that the proposal be refused.  Councillors have no option but to heed the public objections and their staff recommendation, and direct the Noosa Council to refuse the Sunshine Coast Council component of the proposal.

It is anticipated that the Noosa Shire Council will decide the application sometime in March 2014.

Fast Facts

• Development stretches from Noosa Par 3 to banks of Lake Weyba. Potential for up to 1000+ dwellings! 
• Equates to over 2000+ residents.  A whole new town!
• Unsustainable pressure on existing roads, schools, medical services, community services and your lifestyle!
• Destruction of one of the region’s precious natural assets – assets that underpin our tourism industry, our economy!  Urban density inappropriate for sensitive ecological area.
• High urban density on high value conservation rural land. Outside urban footprint!
• Non compliant with existing planning schemes!  SEQ Regional Plan/Maroochy Plan 2000/Noosa Plan – no urban development planned in this area.
• Sunshine Coast Regional Council report rejected Biodiversity Offset proposal as providing no net environmental gain!
• Postage stamp size 350m2 lots. Sardine City!
• Dwellings, shops, townhouses up to 3 storeys! 
• New town drains into Keyser Creek and Lake Weyba – the lungs of the Noosa River!
• Potential for the high water quality of this sensitive catchment to be irrevocably compromised.
• Over 2000+ additional residents boating, fishing, kayaking on this delicate waterway, its tributaries and local parks!
• 55% of urban density on 25% of land available for development: land fronting sensitive Lake Weyba!
• Buffer zone 60 metres? 10 metre lot setback+10 metre drainage = 40 metre buffer inadequate to lake.
• Developer reports state “manicured grass” NOT “revegetate” as claimed to prevent fire.
• Wetland to be filled – home to vulnerable wallum froglet, wallum rocket frog and wallum sedge frog.
• 150,000 cubic metres of soil moved.  Developer claims “world’s best practice”. Modifying landscape and landform dramatically indicates land is unsuitable for development.
• Loss of flood storage of 25,600m³ developer’s report states that this is negligible given the size of Lake Weyba and surrounding flood plain.  Does flood water stop at boundary of development?????
• Tidswell and Hollets Road – 22 metres wide! Loss of old growth trees koala feed trees and endangered vegetation! High traffic volume!
• Wildlife experts say proposal detrimental to koalas and other fauna. NO net gain!
• Fragments fauna movement – isolates existing National Park and Nature Refuges.
• The applicant responded to only part of the further information requests, which means large unknowns for the assessment process, particularly for some of the environmental issues.
• Development brings forward water storage deficiency of the Tewantin Reservoir to 2016.
• Noosa Sewage treatment plant only has the capacity to serve existing connections and any new appropriate development until late 2015.
• Sewage may need to be trucked to Coolum if there is insufficient capacity at Noosa. Jeopardises careful planning for peak tourist loads. Is trucking effluent sustainable and greenhouse friendly?
• Any appropriate development within urban footprint unlikely to proceed because of high capital contributions as NoW uses all remaining water and sewage capacity for Noosa.
• Blinding increase in lights associated with traffic and housing in low impact rural area.
• Current ratepayers live here for the amenity and lifestyle guaranteed by existing planning designations.
• Claims 2076 jobs over 8 years BUT only 909 on site! Where are the rest! Down south? Local benefit?
• Access for up to 550 lots via Eumarella Road!  Thousands of additional cars each day!
• Walter Hay Drive – no longer limited access road. 6600 more cars daily!  Speeds reduced.
• Water, sewage, power!  NoW would take infrastructure to or beyond capacity.  No reserves for Noosa ratepayers or appropriate responsible development proposals!
• Locals in development area forced to pay access charges for water and sewage. Connected or not!

IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THIS CONTENTIOUS PROPOSAL, THEN HAVE YOUR SAY! SIGN OUR PETITION here” !