What's Noosa plan in Sunshine Coast Draft Planning scheme

THERE appears to be no hidden "develop at all costs" measures buried within the Sunshine Coast Council draft planning scheme for the northern end of the Coast.

The Noosa News has looked through the local plans in that document for Noosa Heads and Noosaville now open for public comment and there is no lurking "Caloundrafication" aims for up here from an initial reading.

But former Noosa Council senior planner Paul Summers is sounding a note of caution for the community watchdogs and Noosa-based councillors Russell Green and Tony Wellington to be on their guard.

"While I am informed that there is very little change between the Noosa Plan and the draft Sunshine Coast Plan and I am sure that Crs Green and Wellington have vetted the draft carefully, as we all know the devil is in the detail," Mr Summers said.

"In this plan, that detail extends to more than 2200 pages excluding maps - lots of places to hide devils. This plan, as with any, requires careful evaluation from a vigilant community."

The local plan for Noosa Heads at least says reassuring things with its aims to retain its "strong focus on tourism" while urban growth "is limited to land within the urban growth management boundary so as to protect and reinforce the character, environmental and natural landscape values of Noosa Heads".

Height restrictions will remain in place in crucial areas like Hastings St.

In Noosa Junction the plan intends to preserve "a fine grain street front to enhance the village feel, boutique shopping and human scale of Noosa Junction".

For Noosaville the overall desire of the local plan is to preserve "the character, environmental and natural landscape values of the Noosa River, Weyba Creek, Lake Doonella and associated foreshore areas, Noosa National Park and Tewantin Forest Reserve".

The council's draft plan: "supports the role and function of the Noosa Business Centre (basically Noosa Civic and surrounds) as a major regional activity centre and the dominant centre for the northern part of the Sunshine Coast".

Cr Green said there had been very little deviation in the draft away from the existing Noosa Plan.

"It's effectively taking the Noosa Plan and having to change the language to comply with the Queensland planning provisions as all new planning schemes have to do now," Cr Green said.

"It's just some marginal tweaking as I've been trying to deliver a message to the community that 99% of the document is pretty much the same (as the Noosa Plan).

"We've also had the Noosa Iconic Panel to ensure the iconic visions have been protected all the way through."