Eco Cottages social housing plan in Cooroy hits Noosa Council roadblock

Noosa Council’s own land has been discussed as an alternative site for social housing in a major hinterland town as staff recommend a private development should not go ahead.

The interior of an Eco Cottages home. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Noosa councillors have discussed the suitability of council-owned land for social housing in a major hinterland town after their staff shot down a private developer’s social housing development plan.

Eco Cottages owner Greg Phipps has proposed a 33-home social housing park for a 2.4ha block, with sustainable and safe housing for families, elderly women and essential workers at Carpenters Rd in Cooroy.

Last month, Mr Phipps outlined his frustration over the development application and having spent more than $100,000 on the plan to date.

Council staff has recommended the development should not go ahead.

A report to the council’s Planning and Environment Committee stated the development was “at odds” with many parts of the Noosa Housing Strategy.

Eco Cottages managing director Greg Phipps wants to build 33 eco cottages at Cooroy to help provide a solution to the region's social and affordable housing crisis. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“The land is not well located being more than 400m from the town centre, school and public transport, adjoins industrial land whilst the site is not currently serviced by the required infrastructure,” the report stated.

It also stated the project did not “integrate well” with the “existing settlement pattern” for Cooroy and the applicant had not “sufficiently demonstrated” how it would achieve and retain the site for affordable housing.

Noosa Council staff has shot down Eco Cottages’ plan for a social housing development at Cooroy. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The report also acknowledged residents who had written letters of objection to the development.

Many letters of support had been received by the council but many of those letter writers lived outside Cooroy.

The development was also “contrary” to the rural residential code.

During a planning and environment committee meeting on August 8, Mayor Clare Stewart asked about the differences between the Carpenters Rd site and council-owned land on Lake Macdonald Dr.

The Noosa Council has land earmarked for social housing on Lake Macdonald Dr in Cooroy. Picture: Erle Levey

That land had also been earmarked as a possible social housing site in the Noosa Housing Strategy.

Acting planning co-ordinator Nadine Gorton said the zoning of the Lake Macdonald Dr land was in the council’s urban footprint and in a residential area.

“It was specifically referenced in our housing strategy that relocatable home parks, I think they’re supposed to be included in the community zone,” she said.

Mr Phipps said Lake Macdonald Dr was a “long way” from town.

Eco Cottages managing director Greg Phipps outside one of his homes. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“You’d need transport to get into town, whereas the Carpenters Rd site is within walking distance,” he said.

The findings come as a report put to Sunshine Coast Council last month found an emerging trend of “working homeless”, with an 11 per cent increase in employed people sleeping rough.

Mr Phipps said he had concerns about councillors voting on the plan later this month but remained hopeful despite the report from council staff.

“The specialists and the engineers who did the assessment on the site, their assessments have been really positive,” he said.

Mr Phipps said the land was still within “walking distance” of town and being close to the industrial zone meant it was easier to walk to work there.

He said he was only using a third of a 2.4ha site for the proposed build and the land was in the urban footprint of the state government plan and “right next to” council’s urban footprint.

The businessman said charity and church groups kept calling him to see when the project would start.

“We’ve done all of those reports and I’m just hoping the councillors will support it,” Mr Phipps said.

“I know the council staff don’t.”

The developer said state government committee representatives had met with him and seen the Carpenters Rd site on August 8.

Mr Phipps’ development application will be discussed at the council’s general committee meeting on August 14.