A vote by councillors on whether to approve a contentious luxury boutique hotel within an existing resort’s grounds has been postponed, a move that’s been welcomed by the proposed developers.
GH Australia, the owner of Noosa Springs, has applauded Noosa Council’s decision to postpone taking a vote on a development application to construct a boutique hotel at the resort.
The company, which has owned Noosa Springs since 2014, had applied to the council for approval to build a 106-room five-star hotel on its property.
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A General Committee meeting of the council resolved on Monday to reject the application, and its recommendation was scheduled to go before a full council meeting on Thursday.
However, GH Australia requested a halt to the decision-making process, as is allowed under the Planning Act, and the matter was withdrawn from the meeting agenda.
“By way of explanation, this is an option available to any applicant, that they can ask council to cease assessment of the application, which is what they’ve done formally, therefore we can’t decide on the matter at tonight’s meeting,” Councillor Brian Stockwell told the meeting.
The move was accepted unanimously on Thursday, with Mayor Clare Stewart and Councillor Karen Finzel not voting due to declared conflicts of interest.
The delay in decision-making would give the applicant an opportunity to convince councillors of the benefits of the hotel proposal, and hopefully avoid other potential remedial action at considerable cost to all parties, including Noosa ratepayers.
GH Australia director Ellen Guan said the reasons listed by the General Committee for refusing the development application had all been addressed in the application and, after an exhaustive assessment process, supported by Noosa Council officers and experts engaged by the council to provide independent advice.
Ms Guan said the site was intended for short-term accommodation as part of the resort complex.
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She said the hotel development would add much-needed short-term accommodation facilities in Noosa, where an economic impact assessment predicted a 683-room shortage for 2023.
Ms Guan said the basis for the recommendation to refuse the application did not seem to have merit, given that all the reasons for refusal had been addressed, and supported by council officers and experts engaged by the council to provide independent advice.
She said an odour impact assessment has been undertaken after concerns about a nearby sewage treatment plant (STP). The assessment had been reviewed by council’s odour expert, who confirmed that hotel buildings were located outside the 2.5 odour contour, and that the development was appropriate subject to conditions.
No odour complaints have ever been received by Noosa Springs or Unitywater, which operates the STP.
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“The considerable community benefit, along with many other relevant matters in support of the application, were not discussed,” Ms Guan said.
“Since 2018 we have worked collaboratively with council officers at great expense to prepare the hotel development proposal that clearly deals with all relevant planning issues.
“During the engagement phase we made numerous changes to the proposal in response to public submissions received, and the further issues raised by council officers and its expert consultants.
“The council’s own planning officers thoroughly reviewed and interrogated the development application over an extended assessment period and have recommended its approval subject to conditions.
“We are left with an impression the consideration of all matters related to the decision have not been fairly considered and balanced, and are unjustified in the circumstances.”
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