Applications have been lodged for two unit developments in Noosa Shire under a state government scheme designed to fast-track affordable housing.
GCMT Properties, owned by Michael Tozer of Marcus Beach and Graeme Connor of Kingscliff, proposes to build a 195-unit complex with commercial and retail space, onsite parking and communal facilities at 2, 6, 8, 10 Lanyana Way, Noosa Heads.
Poinciana Blue, owned by Bruce Bairstow of Noosaville, has proposed a development of about 40 units with onsite parking for land at 10 Sidoni Street and 87-89 Poinciana Street, Tewantin.
The applications have been lodged with the State Facilitated Development (SFD) process, which fast-tracks projects of priority to the state government and bypasses council assessment.
Noosa Council has sought information on the proposals, with particular concern about their affordability and the building heights.
Both sites are described on the SFD public register as “highly suitable for delivering more well-located homes for Queenslanders” because of their proximity to active and local transport options and local amenity.
The Noosa Junction proposal will be rental only, while the Tewantin complex will be a mixture of freehold and rentals.
The developers, in seeking to have the projects declared SFDs, have committed to providing affordable housing in at least 15 per cent of the properties.
Noosa Council was notified of the proposed developments by the state government and mayor Frank Wilkie said it had sought more information urgently, indicating there were concerns about the potential height of buildings.
“This is the state’s response to the national housing crisis, as each development must contain an element of ‘affordable housing’, although we don’t know what that means at present,” Cr Wilkie said.
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“The available information also does not include plans or details of building height.
“Due to the limited amount of information provided, council immediately requested an urgent meeting with the state planning department director.
“The advice I’ve received this morning is the SFD department is either unwilling or unable to release details of building height, number of storeys or carparking requirements.
“We need this detail to give appropriate and accurate feedback, as well as to understand conflicts with the planning scheme and impacts on the surrounding community.
“It’s yet to be explained how these developments will deliver housing that is genuinely affordable.”
Cr Wilkie said the council would make submissions about the proposals before the closing date of September 23. The Housing Minister will decide whether or not to approve the projects.
A Department of Housing, Local Government, Planning and Public Works spokesperson said this stage of the SFD process focused on what was possible on a particular development site as opposed to detailed design.
“The SFD process considers location attributes including the proximity to active and public transport as well as local services like schools and other community services which would make it highly suitable for delivering more well-located homes for Queenslanders,” the spokesperson said.
“Because there is no development application, there is no development application material to share to accurately reflect the development proposal.
“This will form part of a future development application, and detailed assessment by the department, if the proposal is declared by the minister.”
The proposed developments are publicly viewable for comment on the SFD website.
In July, an application was lodged for an eight-storey, 90-unit building at Birtinya, near the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, under the Ministerial Infrastructure Development process, which streamlines the process for infrastructure projects.
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