Sandy raised in Parliament on 12 March 2025 the issue of the upcoming development of new regional plans during Question Time, which could provide an avenue to address the excessive population targets thrust onto Noosa in the ShapingSEQ 2023 Plan by the former Government.
To view Sandy’s full Question without Notice (QWN) and the Deputy Premier’s response, please visit https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/events/han/2025/2025_03_12_DAILY.pdf#page=26. In summary, the Deputy Premier gave assurances that the development of new regional plans would be actioned as soon as possible in consultation with local councils. That this could include a review of the excessive population targets for Noosa that we raised is extremely positive.
In addition, with community consultation, mentioned in our February 2025 Noosa 360 update, closing on the Tewantin State Facilitated Development (SFD), Sandy also submitted a Question on Notice (QON) regarding whether the Government will review and revise the SFD legislation and regulations including the definitions for affordability to deliver outcomes in line with community expectations.
When Sandy spoke in 2024 opposing the legislation that facilitated the SFD pathway, she was very clear that without a legislated definition, or definitions, on what is affordable, we would end up where we currently are, not where we need to be and that is with genuine, affordable housing for our workers. This can be achieved by State Government and the private and not for profit sectors working together with our community, not against it.
The Deputy Premier in his response to the QWN partially addressed Sandy’s QON, stating that any developers who use the SFD process must work with Local Governments and their planning schemes as well take the community along with them, and that if they don’t, the new Government would cancel their applications. These responses from the Deputy Premier are welcomed and appreciated, and we thank him for the commitment demonstrated, with a full response expected to the QON on 11 April 2025 and we will update once it is available.
This should give reassurance to our community regarding the concerns on the Tewantin SFD application, as well a future avenue to have the excessive and unsustainable population targets set for Noosa in the ShapingSEQ Plan reduced in a revised regional plan. We encourage all residents to stay updated and remain clear on expectations for the Noosa Electorate and our future.
Further information
For all Sandy’s previous Noosa 360 updates on the SFDs, please visit www.sandybolton.com/?s=State+Facilitated+Development.
For our previous Noosa 360 updates on the ShapingSEQ Plan, please visit www.sandybolton.com/?s=Regional+plan.
To contact the relevant Minister, email deputy.premier@ministerial.qld.gov.au. Please copy our office in via noosa@parliament.qld.gov.au and forward us any response that you receive.
Updates on many local matters are available on Noosa 360 at www.sandybolton.com/noosa360. To receive information straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our monthly newsletter via www.sandybolton.com/newsletters. This also ensures you receive any future Noosa related surveys or polls.