NOOSA HOUSING STRATEGY - 12 MONTH UPDATE

Executive summary

In November 2022, Noosa Council endorsed the Noosa Housing Strategy, demonstrating its commitment to reducing inequity, promoting inclusiveness, and providing safe, affordable housing for residents. Noosa Shire, like many other communities is struggling with the availability and affordability of housing options. This is affecting many parts of our community, particularly low to medium income earners, but also employment sectors trying to attract and retain staff. The problem has been exacerbated by various factors over the last four years. Noosa Shire is a popular place to live and visit and it has a limited amount of developable land. Supply of housing can not and will not keep up with demand. Through adoption of the Housing Strategy in December 2022, Council has committed to various actions to advance the vision of an inclusive Noosa community where everybody has access to safe, secure housing they can afford. Whilst reporting back on the implementation of the Housing Strategy was required following 2 years, this report provides a progress update and commentary on the implementation of actions within the Housing Strategy over the past 12 months.

Recommendation

That Council note the report by the Principal Strategic Planner to the General Committee Meeting dated 11 December 2023 regarding the Noosa Housing Strategy - 12 month Update.

Report

Implementation of the Housing Strategy Since adoption, Noosa's Housing Strategy has been published online and circulated broadly amongst stakeholder networks and through social media. Council held a Housing Forum on 1st March 2023 and invited stakeholders, including everyone that made written submissions on the draft Housing Strategy. The Housing Forum provided an opportunity to personalise the housing crisis through real local examples and reinforce the importance of taking a role as a local government and as a community, in what is often seen as a State or Federal problem. A letter was also sent to approximately 900 owners of homes used for short-term accommodation encouraging them to consider renting to permanent tenants instead. The Housing Strategy contained a total of 48 actions. Attachment 1 contains a full list of the actions with an update of what has occurred to date and what the next steps will be. Council's role differed for each action depending on its level of influence and what resources could reasonably be committed. Some of the key actions are outlined below. Some actions required Council to recognise certain challenges and monitor the situation or to advocate to other levels of government, which is ongoing. For many other actions Council's role is that of Planner or Regulator. Council has planned for an appropriate provision of housing and this has been spelt out within the Housing Supply Statement recently furnished to the State Government as part of the SEQ Regional Planning review process. Council has reviewed Noosa Plan 2020 and associated policies and proposed amendments to improve housing supply, housing choice, sustainable design, housing affordability, and housing diversity. The proposed amendments have been subject to State Interest Review for several months. At the time of preparing this report, it is understood the proposed amendments are with the Minister's office with a recommendation they be approved, subject to conditions, for the purpose of community consultation. Outside of Noosa Plan 2020, Council can use levers such as rates, development application fees, development assessment timelines and infrastructure charges as other means of incentivising positive housing outcomes. These measures are currently being analysed with recommendations to come before Council as part of the next budget review. Council staff have been proactively partnering with State Government (particularly Department of Housing) including assistance with informing decisions to purchase properties for housing and to scope the feasibility of development. Since signing a memorandum of understanding with Coast2Bay community housing provider, a strong working partnership has developed with very positive prospects for community housing to be developed in the Shire. Council staff have also assisted other not for profit organisations to identify prospects for crisis or community housing, either on land already secured or by identifying potential properties known to be on the market. Some proposals are understood to be advancing through planning and design stages. Strategic planners provide planning advice regularly to anybody with a proposal for housing choice. The Housing Strategy makes clear that Council will not become a direct housing provider but will partner with community housing providers and other levels of government in the delivery of housing by reviewing and making available suitable land holdings and other resources to facilitate delivery of social and affordable housing. To this end, investigations on the potential dwelling yield and building design have commenced for Council's carparks at Bottlebrush Avenue, Noosa Junction and Sidoni Street and Doonella Street Tewantin. More immediately, progress has been made with the investigation of Council's land at 62 Lake Macdonald Drive Cooroy which is subject of a separate report to Council.

Update on State Legislative and Policy Reviews The last 12 months has seen various initiatives at a State and Regional level pitched at addressing the housing crisis. Some of these initiatives have had, or have potential to have, significance to Noosa Shire. In December 2022, the Planning Regulation 2017 was amended to provide for state-wide consistency and support for small-scale rooming accommodation. As Noosa Plan 2020 already made rooming accommodation of no more than 5 bedrooms and 5 residents acceptable subject to requirements (self assessable), this change had the affect of making them accepted development. At the same time regulation changes allowed Local Governments to make applications for a dwelling house assessable development in the medium and high density residential zones - a change we had advocated for since 2018. In April 2023, the Planning (Inclusionary Zoning Strategy) Bill 2023 was introduced into the Queensland parliament by the Member for South Brisbane, and referred to the State Development and Regional Industries Committee for consideration. Council staff prepared and lodged a detailed submission to this bill during the consultation period, supporting the intent but raising concerns about likely functionality and consequences. The bill was not passed. In early August 2023 the Draft ShapingSEQ 2023 (draft regional plan) update was released for community consultation. One of the primary drivers underpinning the amendment of the draft regional plan was to ensure that the planning context was responsive to new growth projections, effectively meaning that planning schemes and planning processes would not create barriers for delivering more housing fast. Council staff prepared and lodged a robust submission to the draft regional plan and have participated in many meetings with DSDILGP, SEQ Council of Mayors and LGAQ on its content, especially population projections, dwelling supply and diversity targets. In October 2023, Council staff prepared and lodged a Housing Supply Statement required by the State. This showed that Noosa Shire can meet the dwelling targets within the published Draft ShapingSEQ 2023 Update with neither expansion of the urban footprint nor significant departure from existing policy in terms of the Low or Medium Density Residential zones. The final ShapingSEQ

update is anticipated to be released in December with final dwelling targets. Also in October 2023, the Housing Availability and Affordability (Planning and Other Legislation Amendment) Bill 2023 was introduced into the Queensland parliament by the Deputy Premier and was referred to the State Development and Regional Industries Committee for detailed consideration. Council staff prepared and lodged a detailed submission to this bill and has followed its progress. It will, amongst other things, create an alternative pathway for the delivery of affordable housing, that of a "state facilitated application". Through this process, applications are assessed by the State with Council and state agencies providing technical advice only. The process is considered to be streamlined with limited appeal rights. The Committee has tabled its report recommending the bill be passed and it is currently on Parliament's Notice Paper for 13 February 2024.

Next steps

Council awaits advice from the State that the proposed planning scheme amendments can be publicly notified, and community consultation can commence. Considerable explanatory material is being prepared to accompany the amendments when this occurs. It is anticipated this will be catalytic for development applications to come forward including small dwellings and affordable housing. Given the delay in obtaining State Interest sign off on these amendments, public consultation on them will now occur in 2024. In 2024 Council will carry out a comprehensive communication exercise with the community, drawing on resources prepared by the State Government and local designers and on the expertise of members of the Housing Stakeholder Reference Group and the broader housing and community sectors. This will serve to improve understanding and appreciation for the need for greater housing choice in the various community across the Shire, and to involve the community in the planning process. It will address elements of local character, built form and density for each place. A new Housing Partnerships Project Officer will take carriage of building and maintaining collaborative partnerships with State and Federal government, Community Housing Providers and the Building and Development Sectors to deliver social and affordable housing outcomes for Noosa Shire, in line with the Noosa Housing Strategy. This will include securing funding sources wherever possible. Staff will be working collaboratively with the State Government and the LGAQ in finalising a Local Housing Action Plan as required for a consistent State-wide approach.

Report details

Index: Subject: 41.46 Housing Strategy