Public consultation has opened on a proposal to construct a 25-unit social housing complex on a former landfill site.
Plans have been lodged with Noosa Council for the development at 64 Lake Macdonald Drive, Cooroy, which would include two buildings on the 3161sqm site.
The application, lodged on September 29 by RPS on behalf of Coast2Bay Housing Group, seeks approval for the establishment of 15 one-bedroom units of either 57sqm or 64sqm, and 10 two-bedroom units of 91sqm.
The public notification period opened on October 29 and closes on November 24.
A town planning report by RPS says the lodgement of the development application follows the adoption of amendments to the Noosa Plan 2020 in September to help ease the housing crisis.
“We recognise that the amendments adopted in this version of the planning scheme are intended to expand housing choice through smaller dwellings, accessible dwellings, affordable dwellings and dwellings specifically built for permanent rental; and create feasible pathways for the development of additional social or affordable housing,” it said.
“On this basis, Coast2Bay negotiated acceptable terms for the freehold purchase of the subject land from council under a capital funding agreement (CFA) with the state, contingent on the project providing social housing for eligible people on the register of need.
“Importantly, the CFA commits the project to social housing in perpetuity, with a state mortgage over the land.”
The site was previously used as a municipal landfill between 1912 and 1958, with sections used for nightsoil and bottle disposal, but the report notes that remediation is underway as part of broader operational works that were approved by the council.
The project is also being supported by a $4.1 million grant from the state government’s Residential Activation Fund, which will fund essential infrastructure including water, sewer and stormwater connections.
The design of the proposed complex – which includes 25 resident car parks and six visitor spaces – pays tribute to Cooroy’s history.
“As a gesture to the region’s timber milling industry which was a vital part of the local community from as early as 1890 (particularly prominent in the 1950s), the roof facing Lake Macdonald Drive has been designed to evoke the image of a saw blade,” the report states.
“This is achieved through a series of ‘skillion’ roofs, arranged along the gentle west-east crossfall to represent the teeth of a saw, juxtaposed with the edge of the main roof form, symbolising the gullet of the blade. In this way, the design pays homage to the historical and cultural heritage of the region.”
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The project would include a community room exclusively for tenants and Coast2Bay support staff, to encourage social connection among residents.
“The on-site community room will provide a neutral space for a range of activities for tenant engagement,” the report says. “These include tenant meetings, morning teas and other small events with the aim of bringing residents together who might otherwise be experiencing loneliness and social detachment.”
The development application says the proposal responds to growing housing pressures in the region.
“Between 2024 and 2025 there was a 57 per cent increase in households on the Queensland Social Housing Register who require social housing in the Noosa Local Government Area,” it states.
“The increase from 51 to 80 households represents a growing issue in the region, with most demand generated by single-parent families, single persons and single persons over 55, with a corresponding need for one and two-bed accommodation.”
The council’s website says it originally purchased the land for a future expansion of the adjoining Cooroy Cemetery, but only a portion of it was required. Preliminary site investigations in 2023 showed the site was suitable for housing development, subject to remediation works.
The site has since been divided into 62 Lake Macdonald Drive, a one-hectare site for the future expansion of the cemetery, and 64 Lake Macdonald Drive, which is to be further divided into three large lots. This 25-unit Coast2Bay proposal would occupy the 3161sqm Lot 1, which is closest to Lake Macdonald Drive and would have about 38m of frontage to a new internal road extending from Dianella Court.
Noosa mayor Frank Wilkie has previously noted the land could potentially support a further 60 dwellings, subject to community consultation.
