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COOROY RAG NEWSPAPER Community FREE
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Phone: 5442 6699
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Email: editorial@cooroyrag.com.au I May 2021
Ground broken on play project WHILE work has commenced on the six month construction of the Hinterland Adventure Playground at Cooroy - it has now been made official. Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart and Member for Nicklin Robert Skelton were at Lower Mill Place on Friday 7 May for a sod turning, to signal the start of this landmark project. After years of planning and development, construction of the new playground started in April and is expected to be finished by the end of 2021, weather permitting. The multi-million dollar project, jointly funded by Noosa Council and the Queensland Government, aims to encourage more visitors to the hinterland, with the added bonus of creating employment opportunities and helping to boost the local economy.
Member for Nicklin Robert Skelton and Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart (and five-year-old daughter Amelia) with construc on company, Aspect Contractors, councillors Karen Finzel and Tom Wegener and Noosa Council staff. Photo: Alex Purcell
Gemlife appeals Council’s ‘no’ to village BY ALEX PURCELL GEMLIFE is appealing Noosa Council’s ‘no’ decision for a $130m retirement resort on land next to the Cooroy Golf Club. The notice of appeal, obtained by the Cooroy Rag, was filed on 23 April, 2021 to the Planning and Environment Court at Brisbane against the decision of Noosa Council “to refuse a development application for development permits
for material change of use comprised of a seniors living community”. Noosa Council told the Cooroy Rag they are aware of the appeal and it is expected councillors will be asked to vote in favour of defending the original decision at a future meeting. “Council is aware that an appeal has been lodged with the Planning & Environment Court against Council’s unanimous de-
cision to refuse the application given its significant conflicts with the planning scheme. Council’s Manager for Development Assessment Kerri Coyle said a report will be presented to a future Council meeting on the appeal, recommending that Council defend the appeal. The appeal seeks to have the development application approved “subject to reasonable and relevant
conditions”. The grounds of appeal include several reasons for approval including “the proposed development is consistent with the urban footprint designation” and overlay mapping by Noosa Council “did not identify the land as an agricultural land conservation area”. After refusing the development application in March, councillors said the proposed development lay outside the urban bound-
ary for the Noosa Planning Scheme, on land set aside for rural and open space recreation purposes and the development would have resulted in a high-density residential development outside the Urban Growth Boundary. The appeal also seeks approval on the grounds the proposed development would “result in a substantial net community benefit” through “choice and diversity of housing types”,
contributing “to additional employment” and bringing “economic, social and community benefits to Cooroy”. Cooroy Golf Club told the Cooroy Rag they do not have any opinion on the appeal and are meeting with GemLife this Friday, May 14. GemLife was also contacted for comment but no response had been receieved by the time of going to print.
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