Housing crisis: Noosa Council to vote on release of draft strategy to community

The community will have its say on the Noosa housing crisis and possible changes to the town plan as a developer and the Noosa Council confirmed a Cooroy social housing project has not been approved.

A Cooroy developer claims the Noosa Council is not meeting its moral obligation to address the housing crisis in the region and says some of the concerns it has raised over his development are not legitimate.

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

Mr Phipps said that the development application was still before the council and had not yet been approved.

He said there were many benefits for the council, the environment and the community if it did approve the application.

“I’ve looked at the concerns that have been raised and they’re not legitimate,” Mr Phipps said.

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.

He said that some of the concerns raised were regarding sewer odour, which he said would not be an issue.

He also said in his meetings with the council, the biggest sticking point for the development that had been expressed to him was that the hinterland block was considered rural-residential and was not in the urban footprint.

An eco cottage under construction. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“It’s right on the edge of the precinct of the urban town plan, it’s an isolated block at the end of the street,” Mr Phipps said.

“In the state government plan, it’s within their urban precinct.”

He said Carpenters Road, which he had offered to bitumen, was in the council urban footprint.

He said the building industry, councils and community organisations had a moral obligation to provide affordable, environmentally friendly housing and this was a perfect project to use as a pilot study for the region.

“This is an emergency situation,” he said

“It’s a crisis that needs genuine action.

“They have a moral obligation to do something about it.”

Would-be residents at the development would have no power bills because of solar power planned for the site and no gas bills either because everything would be run off solar.

“It meets council’s zero net energy policy,” Mr Phipps.

Noosa Council development assessment manager Kerri Coyle confirmed council staff were still assessing the application.

“We are waiting to hear back from the applicant, regarding a detailed information request issued back in April this year,” she said.

Ms Coyle said the applicant had three months to respond to the council’s information request, which may be extended by agreement with the council should the applicant require additional time to address the issues raised

She said staff were seeking information regarding the site’s suitability given the site’s existing constrained access, flooding in the area, limited access to services and the site’s location in proximity to land intended to be developed for industrial uses in the future.

“Officers have also raised concerns about the potential impact of the nearby sewerage treatment plant on future residents,” Ms Coyle said.

She said once the applicant responds to the information request, the application must be publicly notified for comment from the community and then the application would be tabled at a future council meeting.

In regards to the developer’s concerns that the council was not meeting its moral obligation, environment and sustainable development director Kim Rawlings said the focus was about finding the right solutions for housing in the right places.

Noosa councillors on June 23, 2022, endorsed the release of a draft housing strategy to the community.

The council will hold pop-in sessions, and online survey and other engagement for the public in July.

Mayor Clare Stewart said there was no silver bullet for a solution to the housing crisis in Noosa.

“While it is going to take investment from all levels of government, Noosa can determine its own destiny by developing actions to guide how we provide affordable housing for the future needs of the shire,” she said.

Ms Stewart said the draft housing strategy was about delivering a plan so everybody within the Noosa Shire could access affordable housing into the future.

On June 20, Noosa Councillor Brian Stockwell said the council had worked with the state government and the draft housing strategy was ready for residents to read.

“Previously we have identified that we are looking at certain parcels of council land to be made available and we’re currently looking at inclusionary zoning.”

Councillor Brian Stockwell.

The councillor said that inclusionary zoning meant that an element of social housing may become a requirement for some new developments in the shire, if the Noosa plan was amended to include it.

The councillor said public consultation was the first step in any amendments to the existing plan.

Noosa councillors will vote on the release of a draft housing strategy to the community on June 23.

Another key action of the strategy is to establish a stakeholder group with representatives from the council, state government, registered community housing providers, specialist disability accommodation providers, the business and tourism sector and more.

More than 50,000 people are waiting for social housing across Queensland and the state government is also unveiling a new partnership between the Brisbane Housing Company and the Queensland Investment Corporation.

Up to 1200 social and affordable homes would be delivered in Queensland under that new commercial partnership.

The June 23, 2022, vote came as councillors last week also endorsed a report by the council’s chief executive officer Scott Waters on changes that were required within the council.

Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart and chief executive officer Scott Waters.

The report contains 64 recommendations from a review of 17 functions.

Key recommendations include reviewing all policies during each term of council, conducting a culture survey with staff and improving council service delivery through real-time data engagement with the shire.

Mayor Clare Stewart said in a press release the health check of the organisation was needed to improve efficiencies and get the best possible outcomes for the community.

The review came after several major staffing changes at Noosa Council last year.

Michael Shave finished up as council’s director of corporate services and former chief executive Brett de Chastel retired.

Originally published as Housing crisis: Noosa Council to vote on release of draft strategy to community