A court has given the go-ahead for Noosa Hospital to expand onto land earmarked in the planning scheme for housing.
Planning and Environment Court judge Nicole Kefford has upheld an appeal by Noosa Privatised Hospital against Noosa Council’s refusal of the expansion plan.
The decision means that Noosa Privatised Hospital can build a 453sqm infusion centre and 1083sqm day surgery on 3971sqm of land at Goodchap Street which had been zoned for residential use.
The decision in favour of the expansion comes after minor changes were made to the application addressing some of the council’s reasons for refusal.
The council had knocked back the application for a number of reasons, including that it imposed on a residential area, was of a scale and intensity that would have an adverse impact on nearby residents, and had not demonstrated that it would not pollute Lake Doonella.
A council report also mentioned a lack of connection with the existing hospital building, insufficient parking, and the availability of other suitably zoned sites as reasons for refusing the application.
Under changes to the application, an acoustic barrier at least 1.8m high, and higher in some parts, will be built along sections of the western, northern and eastern boundaries.
A chiller plant will also be relocated from the north-west corner of the day surgery building to the south-west corner of its rooftop for acoustic reasons.
The changes include a bioretention basin of increased size, and some redesign of vehicle access and parking will increase the number of motorcycle bays from one to two and patient set-down areas from two to three.
The court approval for the expansion is subject to numerous conditions, including that there be no overnight stays.
Three submissions had been made against the application raising concerns about external lighting and parking in streets, but the changes did not directly address these issues.
A statement from Noosa Council said a satisfactory resolution of the appeal had been achieved as the applicant had made significant amendments to its proposal addressing the reasons for refusal.
Noosa Council’s director of development and regulation Richard MacGillivray said addressing key technical matters was crucial to reaching a positive outcome.
“Council’s initial refusal in 2023 was due to issues relating to land use, traffic, stormwater management and acoustic issues,” Mr MacGillivray said.
“During discussions with the appellant, several important changes were made, including improvements to stormwater management, acoustic issues, aquatic ecology and traffic management,” he said.
“The appellant also modified the proposal to limit the hours of operation and remove the capacity for patients to stay overnight to address concerns from nearby residents.
“With these technical issues addressed and acknowledging that the development fulfils a significant community need for hospital services to the shire, council agreed to settle the appeal, subject to conditions.”
Heather Gunthorpe, a resident involved with a submission about the expansion application, said she was happy with the outcome.
Mrs Gunthorpe said the hospital provided vital services for the area’s aging population, that the expansion location was good for patients, and her concerns had been addressed.
Ramsay Health, which owns Noosa Privatised Hospital, was contacted for comment.
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