Noosa Council committee rejects Noosa Springs hotel expansion

A Noosa Council general committee has voted against recommendations of officers and rejected a $50m 106-room Noosa Springs hotel expansion. Read why they did here.

Renders of the proposed five-star hotel at Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort.

A bold bid for a $50m, five-star hotel development to expand a popular Noosa golf club and spa resort is set to be officially shot down by councillors after signalling their intent to block the proposal.

The controversial proposal which sparked 400 submissions to the council was voted down during Monday’s general committee meeting, against the advice of Noosa Council officers.

The Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort development was set to be a 106-room five-star hotel add on to the current high-end golf resort at the site.

The development drew criticism from some locals, with 400 submissions made to the council objecting to the proposal.

Among the concerns raised were that the development exceeded the council’s 12m height limit, would lead to loss of koala habitat trees and did not fit in with Noosa’s surroundings.

The plans were amended, including agreeing to plant new koala feed trees, with Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort general manager Phil Starkey explaining in February, 2022, how the removal of several rooms from initial plans would ensure a maximum height of 12m.

Hong Kong-based company GH Properties, which also owns Hope Links Golf and Resort, purchased the Noosa resort in 2014 and had planned the hotel expansion as a value add to the site.

The boutique hotel had been forecast to create 360 jobs.

Noosa Council officers put the plans to the committee and recommended its approval, subject to conditions.

Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort owners GH Properties were proposing a five-star hotel with 106 rooms.

But Councillor Brian Stockwell’s motion against the hotel development was voted on unanimously in Monday’s meeting, with that decision set to be rubber stamped in Thursday’s general meeting.

In a statement Mr Stockwell said while many residents had raised issues about the size of the hotel and the fact that it was just 220m from the Noosa sewage plant, there was more concerning things that were considered.

“There’s a longstanding principle of council that we should not facilitate development applications that force us to significantly amend the planning scheme – which is the blueprint for the way our community and council move forward together,” he said.

Councillor Brian Stockwell put forward the motion to reject the Noosa Springs expansion.

“This proposal, as it stands, simply doesn’t fit the values our community rightly expects its council to stand by.

“Importantly, Unitywater has expressed very strong opposition as a result of the potential risks and flow-on costs posed by the close proximity to the Noosa Sewage Treatment Plant.”

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart.

At Monday’s meeting Mayor Clare Stewart left during the decision as she had found out her mother, who lives in Noosa Springs, had signed a petition against the development.

“Unbeknown to me at the time, my mother signed a petition against the development for the proposed Noosa Springs Hotel,” she said.

“I have since removed myself from all workshops and discussion on this application.”

Councillor Karen Finzel also had to recuse herself from the meeting as a volunteer in her election campaign was involved in a property group who made a submission against the development.

Councillors will vote again on the matter at the next meeting on Thursday.

The Daily has attempted to contact GH Properties representatives for comment.