Aged care redesign keeps cockatoos in mind

Noosa councillors are being asked to tread a fine line between helping Blue Care increase its residential aged care and protecting a vulnerable bird species.

The latest look of the Blue Care aged care facility at Sunrise Beach.

Noosa councillors are being asked to tread a fine line between helping Blue Care deliver quality residential aged care and protecting the glossy black cockatoos which locals love.

The sticking point with Glossy Team Sunrise, a community glossy black support group, has always been the removal of the vulnerable bird's food trees from former council land at Grasstree Ct and Ben Lexcen Dr.

Major gastro bug outbreak hits homes

When Noosa aged care went into lockdown

The proposed removal has resulted in thousands of supporters signing an online petition demanding the council impose strong environmental protections on future use of the Uniting Church-owned site.

Councillors will at Tuesday's planning committee meeting council discuss a recommended staff approval that would include adding six care beds as part of a development reconfiguration designed to deliver better safeguards against coronavirus.

An overview of the proposed redesign of the Noosa aged care facility.

It would take Blue Care's bed space from 96 to 102.

Noosa Council planning co-ordinator Patrick Murphy also said it would not in further loss of glossy black habitat.

"The changes result in additional beds being able to be provided for the community but we note, importantly, that there has been no increase in gross floor area proposed," Mr Murphy said.

A new look for Noosa aged care.

"The applicant advises the proposed minor change to the residential aged care involves amending the configuration of the development so that beds are located around central living and service areas for improved functionality and amenity for residents.

"The revised design also improves infection control within the new facility which is particularly important in light of COVID-19."

Mr Murphy said the footprint of the new building location had not significantly changed and "therefore a cluster of active glossy black cockatoo feed trees identified for retention remains unchanged".

Blue Care will also have to re-establish the habitat to be cleared from the site to a nearby location with similar soil properties as part of a vegetation clearing offset program.

The new glossy black food trees must also be maintained for at least five years.

If councillors accept Mr Murphy's latest proposal Blue Care will develop its facility in four stages rather than three, with the residential care section to be developed in the first stage.

Mr Murphy said the new building design offered an overall improvement in visual aesthetic through the use of a variation of lightweight materials and increased building articulation.

Originally published as