A proposed development that could see the first five-star resort built in the region in 30 years has been recommended for approval, despite pushback from residents and concerns about a nearby sewage treatment plant.
The luxury resort has been earmarked for a site near an existing championship golf course and spa, and would comprise 106 rooms surrounding a central, split-level pool.
An application was first submitted to Noosa Council in June 2021 for a 3.8-hectare site at Noosa Springs.
If approved, it would be the first luxury hotel in the Sunshine Coast and Noosa region since the Sofitel was built in Hastings Street in 1989.
Plans for the site indicate the resort would include 98 standard rooms, six premium suites and two presidential suites, basement car parking and a cafe and bar.
As the central feature, the pool would provide guests with an “appealing alternative to the beach”.
The site is subject to split zoning, with about 23,447sqm zoned Tourist Accommodation Zone while the remining 14,608sqm is zoned Recreation and Open Space Zone.
The split zoning to the site was in response to the need for an odour buffer between future development and the nearby sewage treatment plant (STP).
As part of the application, the existing four tennis courts at Noosa Springs will be demolished to make room for the resort and be rebuilt above a car parking area.
It is proposed to expand and upgrade the back-of-house facilities of the Noosa Springs clubhouse in conjunction with the hotel development.
A separate development approval already exists for the clubhouse to upgrade the existing Relish restaurant at Noosa Springs.
The project is the initiative of the GH Properties group, which has owned Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort since 2014.
However, it has been met with several objections from the community regarding the impact a resort could have on Noosa Springs residents.
A 15-day public notification period on the development began on November 29, 2021, with about 450 residents making a submission against the proposal.
The proposed development was mentioned at Noosa Council’s Planning and Environment Committee meeting earlier this week, where several deputations were delivered.
As a registered architect, Noosa Springs resident John Cochrane spoke during the meeting and brought forward concerns on behalf of the residents.
Those concerns included traffic and parking congestion, potential noise, not aligning with the Noosa Plan and the minimal community and recreational use it will provide.
Mr Cochrane said there had been “overwhelming negative community response to the proposal, evidenced by the number of submissions in opposition and letters submitted to council in opposition of the proposal”.
“We ask the council refuse the application,” he said.
As part of the application, an odour report was submitted to determine the potential for STP impacts on the proposed hotel.
The development site is located within 220 metres of the Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant, operated by Unitywater.
According to documentation, the proposed accommodation buildings are located about 270 metres from the existing sewage treatment infrastructure.
However, outdoor amenities including part of the pool, some outdoor dining areas and the open-air sporting facilities would fall within a radius where it could be impacted by odour.
Noosa Council’s consulting odour expert reviewed the development application odour report and conditions have been provided.
These address when it is appropriate to use external areas, how ventilation is to be provided in buildings near the identified odour line and the implementation of vegetated buffers.
During the process, advice was sought from Unitywater, which outlined some concerns it held regarding the application.
One of these was the possibility of “expensive” modifications to the sewage treatment plant to deal with the scale of the development, which could hike up the price of water bills for ratepayers.
Unitywater’s customer delivery executive manager Rhett Duncan said during the meeting this week that while Unitywater was not against development that supported sustainable economic growth, it did not support the proposed location of this development.
“Unitywater does not support the development in its proposed location as it is too close to the existing Noosa sewage treatment plant,” he said.
“The proposed development would propose reversed amenity obligations on Unitywater that cannot be transferred and could unnecessarily cost customers tens of millions of dollars and limit our ability to meet future growth in the region.”
A recommendation has been presented to Noosa Council on behalf of the development assessment manager.
Noting the recommended conditions to address odour impacts, it outlines that “the proposed built form is consistent with the prevailing built form within Noosa Springs and complements the golf clubhouse and spa facilities, which are located nearby”.
“The application has also demonstrated compliance with the carparking, bushfire and water quality/quantity requirements of the Noosa Plan whilst variations to setbacks are supported,” it said.
The development application has now been referred to an upcoming general meeting, where it has been recommended for approval, subject to conditions.
When Noosa Springs was first developed in the 1990s, the owners were given council approval to build 544 dwellings and a 200-room hotel.
At present, and including the Parkridge Noosa complex, which is built on land that formed part of the original Noosa Springs property, there are 526 dwellings.
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