Noosa Springs, RACV resort development plans up for council discussion

A Noosa resort that once hosted an AFL team wants to extend but council staff have other ideas, and another controversial $50m development is again on the table.

The RACV Noosa Resort’s Karlee Katlin serves a cocktail to Jack Warby on holiday from Melbourne in 2018 after the resort won a major tourism award.

Noosa Council staff has shot down an extension plan for a well-known Noosa resort because it would result in an “unacceptable loss” of vegetation in an ecologically sensitive area.

The recommendation for refusal comes as a controversial Noosa Springs Golf and Spa development application is back on the table after councillors went against their own staff and rejected the plan earlier this year.

The RACV Noosa Resort, on Noosa Dr, wants to extend its existing development and build eight separate buildings comprising 15 two-storey self-contained cabins, joined by a boardwalk, along with a new lagoon pool in the existing resort complex, 18 more car parks and to alter existing access.

In a report submitted to the Noosa Council planning and environment committee, staff recommended refusal for reasons including that part of the proposed development was on land in an environmental management and conservation zone.

“The proposed development would result in an unacceptable loss of vegetation in a locality which is ecologically important and environmentally sensitive, serves as an important ecological linkage, and the proposed development is considered an overdevelopment of the land at the expense of the sites (sic) natural values,” the report stated.

The RACV Noosa Resort wants to extend its Noosa Dr accommodation to include 15 two-storey self-contained cabins.

A tree clearing plan showed of the 242 trees on site, 160 trees would be retained and 71 removed with the fate of 11 more trees “TBC”.

Of those earmarked for removal, 27 were “koala trees” with another six koala trees to be considered for review by an arborist during any construction.

The tree clearing plan that was submitted as part of a development application to build 15 self-contained cabins at the RACV Noosa, in Noosa Heads.

Other reasons for refusal included the density and height proposed was “inconsistent” with surroundings and no community benefit was demonstrated.

In the planning and environment committee meeting Tuesday, November 7, development planner Tara Norley said the State Assessment and Referral Agency had granted approval of the development with the condition of a covenant around the site except for the buildings and the boardwalk.

Councillor Karen Finzel asked who would be responsible for developing a covenant, with a response that SARA would become responsible for the covenant and its enforcement.

The resort hosted the St Kilda AFL team during the Covid-19 pandemic, after the whole team relocated north to finish the 2020 season.

St Kilda's skipper Jarryn Geary muscles up at RACV Noosa Resort in 2020.

A development application for the Noosa Springs resort was also briefly raised in the meeting before being moved for discussion at the general meeting.

Noosa Springs wants to build a $50m, 106-room five-star resort on its property between the Noosa National Park and Lake Weyba.

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

Councillors voted against the advice of their own planning staff in July and rejected the application.

Noosa Springs then stopped the decision-making process until September, with the plan back on the table this month.

A report showed Noosa Springs had not altered the layout of the proposed development but had provided several written submissions.

RACV Noosa’s Darren McClenaghan and Kim Petrovic of Noosa Springs had submitted deputations to the latest planning and environment meeting before withdrawing them.

The RACV Noosa and Noosa Springs development applications will be discussed at the council’s general meeting on November 13.