Noosa Council has challenged an affordable housing proposal that could enable developers to bypass local planning schemes.
The council has provided a submission to the state government objecting to changes that could see the state approving developments that include a 15 per cent affordable housing component.
The council has also called on the Local Government Association of Queensland and Council of Mayors to support their cause.
Mayor Frank Wilkie expressed council’s grievances.
“We have serious concerns over vague definitions of affordable housing and how these allow developers to bypass councils’ development assessment powers,” he said.
“We support the provision of more social and community housing in the draft but the new definition of affordable housing looks to deliver just more units onto the open market without any guarantee they will remain affordable over the long-term.
“This is a matter that affects all Queensland councils.
“The amendments the state has now announced to the Planning Regulation 2017, Minister’s Guidelines and Rules and the Development Assessment Rules creates a state-facilitated pathway to deliver affordable housing.
“Unfortunately, it does so by permitting development declared by the minister to completely bypass councils as assessors for any development that has an affordable housing component.
“The state introduced the Housing Availability and Affordability (Planning and Other Legislation) Amendment Bill 2023 last year, but at the time the mechanisms by which they planned to deliver their affordable housing goals weren’t outlined until mid-April 2024.
“Whilst the provisions do indicate some engagement with local government, the reforms only require that the state ‘may’ consider local planning schemes and overlays such as Noosa’s heritage and biodiversity overlays when deciding to approve a development, which is very worrying.
“This could see a proliferation of developments in areas completely at odds with local planning schemes and the development controls that have long shaped our shire.”
Council’s development and regulation director Richard MacGillivray said the state’s definition of affordable housing was vague.
“There are concerns that the provisions do not provide sufficient assurance that the affordable housing component will be maintained over the long-term,” he said.
“The process includes a shortened public consultation period, however there are no appeal rights for communities to object to a development the state approves on the basis it will deliver affordable housing.”
The mayor said the process “needs much more rigour to give local communities assurance the state’s plan to roll out more affordable housing will not erode the character and amenity of Queensland towns and villages and lead to poor long-term development outcomes”.
The state government said it was focused on offering an accelerated approvals pathway for projects that align with affordable housing.
The creation of a State Facilitated Development Team is expected to fast-track the assessment of developments.
Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said it could lead to a streamlined approvals process to build more homes.
“We are making it quicker and easier to build more affordable, quality homes faster in the right locations, near services and transport,” she said.
The Planning Institute of Australia’s Queensland manager Nicole Bennetts said there was a great need for homes.
“Strong population growth is expected to continue in Queensland which, when combined with smaller household sizes, means demand for affordable and diverse housing will remain high, well into the future,” she said.
“Good planning is part of the solution to facilitate more well-located affordable and diverse housing, that meet the needs of the community.
“PIA has been pleased to contribute to the entry criteria for the state-facilitated DA pathway with government, to ensure it focuses on unlocking more of the housing we need.
“PIA supports this pathway as an opportunity to bring forward innovative housing developments which deliver diverse and different forms of housing.
“By using this pathway to demonstrate density done well in the right locations, we believe the community will feel the benefits of this initiative in their neighbourhoods.”
The CEO of developer Villawood Alan Miller said the company was ready to get involved.
“Villawood has been in talks with the state government about cutting red tape to fast-track development applications that deliver diverse and affordable housing,” he said.
“We’re very keen to see new legislation that prescribes affordable housing for buyers of limited income, and we have projects ready to roll with this proviso.
“We see the SFD team as a meaningful and positive initiative to deliver new and innovative forms of housing for Queenslanders.
“Villawood looks forward to ongoing involvement with the SFD team across our Queensland projects.”
Ms Scanlon said community consultation would still be an important process for proposed developments and “environmental protections are important”.
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