Noosa Council staff recommend Cooroibah development as subdivision flood concerns put to bed

Noosa Council staff have recommended a Cooroibah subdivision go ahead after the developer satisfied the concerns of planners. Find out when the first blocks could hit market.

Noosa Council planners have recommended giving a Cooroibah subdivision the green light after the developer addressed flood, bushfire and wildlife concerns raised.

The report in the Noosa Council’s planning and environment committee meeting agenda for June 7, 2022, states the developer has changed the layout of the subdivision and addressed issues about flood mitigation and bushfire safety.

The approval would split one lot of land, which was once cane farm, into eight rural-residential lots at Glenridge Dr in Cooroibah.

The meeting notes state that would-be residents would be best served staying put in a major flood event.

“Due to the relatively short time it takes for the internal road to become inundated in an extreme event (probable maximum flood), it is considered appropriate that residents shelter in place rather than try and evacuate,” the agenda states.

A flood depth map that shows the probable maximum flood at a proposed Cooroibah subdivision.

All proposed lots have building pads and the homes would have a floor above the probable maximum flood level.

The subdivision was first discussed at the April 19 general committee meeting.

A preliminary approval was given with conditions.

The applicant, developer Mark Bain, has since changed the layout of the subdivision to include the existing mapped koala vegetation along McKinnon Dr and provide more information about flooding and bushfire management.

The developer said to his knowledge the proposal was the only subdivision currently before the council.

“We’re happy with where we’re at, at the moment,” he said.

The developer said he would like to have the lots for sale by the end of the year.

“Hopefully before Christmas the land will come on the market,” Mr Bain said.

Mr Bain said the house sites did not flood.

Cane farmer Gary Roper said he sold the land to the developer, with settlement on the land still due.

Mr Bain confirmed the land sale was contingent on the council’s approval.

Mr Roper and his wife Maria Roper will stay on 3.6ha of land at the property.

“We’ve got three kids and we did all the gardening here for 27 years,” Mrs Roper said.

The Ropers have lived in the Noosa region for 52 years and bought the cane farm in 1995.

“We got it for cheap back then,” Mrs Roper said.

Mr Roper said it was time to sell.

“I grew cane here from 1993 to 2003 until the mill closed down,” he said.

“The thing is, you can’t be trying to hold on to 40 acres for one person.

“It’s too much, there’s too much pressure to sell.”

Mr Roper said he had spent his childhood in Cooroibah.

“I know what the old McKinnon Dr used to be when it was gravel road,” he said.

“I knew the boundary line of my block.

“I’ve seen it under heavy rain conditions and I knew it was a really good block of land.”

He said the land he had sold was actually higher than the location of the Noosa Council Chambers in Tewantin.