Lawyers representing the owners of Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort have urged Noosa Council to reconsider the development application for its proposed boutique five-star hotel.
A letter from GH Properties’ lawyer was addressed to acting council CEO Larry Sengstock following a meeting last month when the council’s General Committee voted to refuse the application, despite its own planning officers and council experts recommending it be approved.
The five councillors present cited concerns relating to noise and odour, unacceptable clearing of vegetation in an ecologically important area, and the perceived scale of the development, saying it may conflict with the Noosa Plan 2020.
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In the response letter, GH Properties’ lawyer addressed each concern raised by the council and said the application fully complied with the intent of the planning scheme.
In a statement, GH Properties said council had strong planning grounds to approve the development, which would inject millions of dollars into the regional economy without causing any detrimental impact on the environment.
“It would help address an urgent shortage of hotel accommodation in the Noosa region and reduce the dependency for visitors to utilise Airbnb accommodation,” it said.
GH Properties has currently halted council’s decision on the project, giving councillors additional time to consider the merits of the application.
In the statement, it said councillors at the General Committee meeting expressed concerns that potential guests’ complaints about odour from the nearby sewage treatment plant could lead to Unitywater incurring millions of dollars on remedial measures.
In response, GH Properties’ lawyer said council’s own expert had thoroughly reviewed odour impact assessment reports lodged with the application and agreed with the assessment and conditions imposed to mitigate any risks – as had council’s independent expert consultant, the Unitywater consultant and the experts engaged by GH Properties.
“Councillors had been told at the General Committee meeting that no complaints about odour from the sewage treatment plant had ever been received by Noosa Springs or Unitywater,” it said.
“Councillors also argued the clearing of vegetation in an area known to be used by koalas and glossy black cockatoos was a reason for rejecting the application, suggesting it would have an adverse impact on Noosa’s environmental values.
“However, the application had made it clear that relocating four proposed tennis courts would retain all the koala feed trees in the area mapped as koala habitat. Furthermore, the ecological assessment of the site showed that there was no evidence of the trees being used by glossy black cockatoos for feeding.”
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GH Properties has pledged to plant 120 new koala food trees on the golf course, as well as 25 she-oaks, a source of food for glossy black cockatoos.
The letter said the project would result in the region being at least $25.7 million better off, with 202 additional jobs during the construction period. Once operational, the hotel would inject $14.3 million each year into the local economy and create 158 direct and indirect jobs. The hotel jobs would offer career opportunities with a five-star international hotel operator not otherwise available.
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