The project proponents, EdwardsAndCo. are already renowned for their salons in Sydney, Melbourne, Byron Bay, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and now it’s the Sunshine Coast’s turn.

Every Edwards and Co. salon stands out with beautiful decor and fresh open lighting. Each salon has kitchenette facilities, internal bathrooms, large mirrors, and open spaces.

EdwardAndCo’s Noosaville venture will follow the style set by their other salons.

The space will feature an open-plan workspace utilised by stylists for hair cutting, colour processing, washing and treatments.

EdwardsAndCo. salons are known for their exquisite use of the space they occupy. The interior above is from their Brisbane salon.

You find EdwardsAndCo. salons in spaces you’d least expect, and their Noosaville salon is no exception. They always hide their exquisite salons behind the walls of industrial warehouses.

No alteration to the external built form is proposed. The application for a Material Change of Use to establish a Shop use (Code Assessable) comprises a reconfiguration of the internal layout of the existing showroom to accommodate:

• 6 x cutting basins,
• Colour processing table,
• Wash and treatment basins,
• Staff and storeroom,
• Staff and client amenities, and
• Kitchenette and client drinks station.

The proposed use represents an appropriate reuse of the existing showroom tenancy.

One aspect of the Change of Use application was outlining how the required car parking ( as per the Noosa Plan 2020) could be accommodated. Per the Plan, EdwardsAndCo. would be required to provide 13 car spaces, where only 6 currently exist.

As part of the application, we outlined how, through the staggered approach to hair salon appointments, and the staggering of natural peak times for the neighbouring business (fitness classes), the car parking on site will meet the needs of the Change of Use.

We highlighted that the Plan also requires motorcycle parking, but as car parking is already developed, and there is no ability to provide additional space for motorcycle spaces, it is considered unwarranted to require the applicant to provide spaces. However, in the new floor plan, the architects have cleverly provided additional scooter and bicycle parking internally.

The floorplan shows open spaces, a feature of EdwardsAndCo salons, and a clever way to get additional motorcycle parking on site.

RG Strategic is working with the following specialists to deliver this project:

• Architects: Amanda Jarvis Design Studio

Town Planning Expertise

RG Strategic is your town planning expert with decades of on-council and on-the-ground experience. Contact us today for all your town planning needs.

The post EdwardsAndCo. high-end salon approved for Noosaville appeared first on RG Strategic.

The subject site is located on the corner of Link Crescent and Quanda Road within the Coolum Industry Park. The site is currently vacant, and no improvements exist on site.

The proposal by development proponents Coolum Beach 2 Pty Ltd comprised a tilt slab building with four industrial tenancies plus a caretaker residence.

Each proposed industrial tenancies contain an open-plan workspace area, mezzanine floor, staff room, toilet and shower, kitchen, and balcony overlooking Link Crescent. The proposed Low Impact Industry Use comprises the following:

• 1,023m² of gross floor area,
• 876m² / 52% site cover,
• 396m² of landscaping,
• 17 car parking spaces, and
• 6 motorcycle spaces.

The project deals adequately with easements and parking requirements to maximise usable space on the site.

The exterior renders of the 1 Link Crescent project shows the commercial tenancies featuring double height to accommodate the interior mezzanine floors, and the balconies to each tenancy.

As part of the application, we requested several relaxations to certain requirements, including:

• a relaxation of the rear setback requirement, and
• due to the existing encumbrances on the site (easements) and lot shape, a 2-metre wide landscape strip can not be achieved to the full length of the site’s street frontages.

Due to site easements and configuration, landscaping is limited but plans have been developed to maximise available planting space.

RG Strategic is working with the following specialists to deliver this project:

• Architects: Zest Design
• Builders: Build 4 U Quality Constructions

Town Planning Expertise

RG Strategic is your town planning expert with decades of on-council and on-the-ground experience. Contact us today for all your town planning needs.

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The owners of the units want to join and update units 7 and 8 in the building. These units were developed in the early 1980s and were due for some TLC.

The units on the top floor of the complex being combined at Park Road, Noosa Heads.

The application seeks approval for some minor internal and external alterations to the existing units, including:

• Joining units 7 and 8 to form one unit by removing an internal dividing wall;
• Internal renovation of the unit and furnishings;
• Connect the two individual north-facing unit balconies and add a pergola;
• Adding a new pergola over the western-facing balcony;
• Add new waterproofing to all balconies; and
• Replacing windows and doors with new aluminium framed structures.

The existing floorplan shows the two units that the client wishes to combine.

The new floorplan for Park Road, Noosa Heads, shows how the two units are cleverly combined to make one 4-bedroom unit with the addition of a master bedroom with a large ensuite and walk-in wardrobe and the expansion of much-needed living space.

As this is a Minor Change application, RG Strategic needed to show that the change did not result in a “substantially different” development. We provided comment and evidence on nine separate factors to show the change was not substantially different, including whether the development:

• Involved a new use;
• Resulted in the application applying to a new parcel of land;
• Dramatically changed the built form in terms of scale, bulk, and appearance;
• Changed the ability of the proposal to operate as intended;
• Removed a component that is integral to the operation of the development;
• Significantly impacted on traffic flow and the transport network, such as increasing traffic to the site;
• Introduced new impacts or increases the severity of known impacts;
• Removed an incentive or offset component that would have balanced a negative impact of the development; or
• Impacted on infrastructure provisions

The renovation is primarily internal, and the only external works are pergolas over the existing balconies.

The design replaces existing glazing resulting in an improved external appearance with no amenity impacts on the surrounding units or developments.

The development is minor in nature, is architecturally pleasing and complies with the planning scheme’s relevant Acceptable and Performance outcomes.

Council saw it the same way and approved the change.

RG Strategic is working with the following specialists to deliver this project:

• Architects: Andrew Bock Architecture

Town Planning Expertise

RG Strategic is your town planning expert with decades of on-council and on-the-ground experience. Contact us today for all your town planning needs.

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The application is to seek approval for a Development Permit for a Material Change of Use for an Indoor Sport and Recreation use.

The project’s proponents, KX Pilates, plan to convert the existing retail space into a new pilates studio.

As the site is included in a Medium Impact Industry Zone and the Venture Drive Enterprise Precinct, the proposed change triggered a Code Assessment.

The proposed use will be within the existing building within the Venture Drive Enterprise Precinct of the Noosaville Industrial Estate. The existing building is intended to remain unchanged with the exception of a minor internal reconfiguration. The proposed pilates studio will comprise:

• 46m² of reception area,
• 96m² of pilates reformer area, including 14 x reformer beds, and
• 64m² of amenities, storage and office area.

The existing paints retail space will be converted into a reformer pilates studio

RG Strategic prepared the application and required responses to the Code Assessment to help ensure a positive outcome for KX Pilates.

Our report covered:

• Proposed development intent;
• Description of the characteristics of site and surrounds;
• Proposed development details;
• An assessment of the proposal against the State planning interests;
• An assessment of the proposal against the Noosa Plan 2020; and
• A conclusion that summarises the grounds which support the proposed development.

Only minimal changes internally are required for the pilates studio, with the exterior remaining untouched with the exception of some signage updates and application

KX Pilates’ expansion into Noosaville brings the New Zealand and Australian brand to health-conscious consumers on the Sunshine Coast.

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The Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles announced the surprise move yesterday (Thursday, 22 September), allowing Queenslanders to lease their granny flats on the rental market to create thousands of new housing options.

The initiative was suggested by stakeholders at a pre-housing summit roundtable last week to address the housing crisis. 

Given the state’s housing shortfall urgency, the planning change will skip the regular consultation stages. Mr Miles said the government would revisit the policy in three years to assess its suitability properly.

Our take on granny flat rentals

As a Noosa Housing Strategy Stakeholder Reference Group (HSRG) member, I am certainly excited to see the details as they come through. It is great leadership from the state to take on board what local governments have advocated for over the past 12 months to address the current housing crisis.

We are yet to see the fine print, but we expect this initiative to be enacted similarly to the planning instruments used during COVID-19, including an amendment or inclusion within the State Planning Regulations.

Each council will need to review the details as they emerge to determine what may be required to change within their own planning schemes. 

It may be as simple as a) changes within definitions; b) to amendments of Performance and Acceptable outcomes that sit within their particular planning scheme.

Not every property will be a winner in this circumstance but it provides those properties that already have an existing secondary dwelling/granny flat to be able to commence this use shortly.

Existing secondary dwellings will need to comply with existing fire and building provisions.

If you are considering adding a secondary dwelling to your property be aware that the state government has foreshadowed a review of this change in three years. 

RG Strategic will review all documentation and information supplied by the department and local governments so we can provide a clear, simple-to-understand process for existing or new constructions to ensure you are complying as required.

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That’s what the proponents of 10 Thomas Street, Noosaville are proposing.

RG Strategic have just submitted a Minor Change Application for the redevelopment of the roof and facade structure of the complex, which is now over 30 years old.

The proposed Minor Change to the existing approval seeks to remove part of the existing roof and replace it with a new contemporary designed roof. The proposal seeks to remove the outdated curved roof areas and replace them with a pitched roof to the ground floor and a fly-over roof that wraps around the central courtyard and into the road reserve. The roof to the upper level is not being replaced – only the curved portion over the entry, which is being replaced with a modern symmetrical architectural element.

While no changes are proposed to the uses or gross floor area, the new design creates a contemporary roof form that retains some of the old charm of the development. Sketchi Architects have designed a structure that brings the complex into the 21st century.

The current roof structure is dated and overdue for a remodel.

Plans for the new roof structure and facade show a focus on complementary signage and a lighter roof structure allowing for more light and circulation.

The new structures leave existing premises in place but provide a more contemporary experience for visitors.

RG Strategic worked with the following specialists to deliver this project:

• Architects: Sketchi Architects

Town Planning Expertise

RG Strategic is your town planning expert with decades of on-council and on-the-ground experience. Contact us today for all your town planning needs.

The post Facelift for venerable Noosaville complex appeared first on RG Strategic.

RG Strategic’s town planners have been poring over the documents to date but, while we are happy to start seeing some details, we still have questions. These new laws are not something to be taken lightly as interpreting and implementing them incorrectly can cost you your opportunity to operate short term accommodation in Noosa.

We’ve already met with council to further understand council’s requirements and it goes without saying that there’s a lot of info and it can be quite confusing.

Below we have summarised the current requirements as we have been able to document them. But until the final application form is released, we can only make an informed judgment on the requirements.

Note that a one-off application for approval is required for all short stay let properties, requiring an annual renewal while the property continues to be used for short-stay letting.

It should be noted that council separate short term accommodation and home-hosted accommodation, which includes bed and breakfast style offerings or hosting people in a spare room. An application is still required for these types of operations but some requirements are different. Find out more on council’s website. The information required for an application is very similar to STA applications with only minor omissions such as contact person information for complaints as it is expected there will be a person onsite to direct any complaint to initially.

24/7 Complaints

The change with a big impost is one we highlight here. The requirement of individual operators living within 20km of the property that we raised our concern about in our original discussion of these changes is still there. This effectively means that anyone who operates STA will need to live within 20 kilometres of the premise or they will have to engage a property manager within that radius who will become the nominated contact. This will add an extra impost to the cost of operating STA.

Once approved, you will be required to display a notice showing approval at the front of the property. If you are in a complex you will need to abide by body corporate laws. The notice will need to include a 24/7 complaints hotline number and approval number.

In the first instance, all complaints will be directed to Council’s 24/7 hotline. Council will then contact the responsible person for the property. This person must attend to the complaint within 30 minutes of them receiving the complaint.

Naturally, this raises a number of additional concerns.

If there is more than one property offering STA in a complex, how will the complainant know which specific property is the cause of their complaint? How will council address the issues when they receive a complaint about a whole unit block and not an individual property? How will council address vexatious complainants who may just be protesting an approved STA operator?

There are a lot of questions yet to be answered but we have some serious concerns about how this complaints process will be administered.

Our Other Questions and Concerns

The new local laws require you to submit a site plan for the property that you are applying for. This includes the requirement to show each window and door of any adjoining residence.

To date no information has been provided as to the detail required in these plans or what council, in this instance, classifies as an adjoining residence. What detail is required in these site plans of the neighbouring properties? Will operators be required to gain access to neighbouring properties to accurately survey windows and doors and document precisely placements and measurements, or is a “mud map” acceptable?

Currently, how accurate these plans need to be and the level of detail has not been stipulated.

There’s also a requirement for full public liability insurance for an amount of at least $10 million. Now some, if not all, residential building insurance policies include a legal liability cover but in many cases, they also include exclusions if you are operating a business from the premises insured. We would advise all operators to discuss their insurance cover with their provider to ensure they have the appropriate cover required by council.

Once we see the final application form (due early next year) we can provide concrete advice and assistance when progressing an application for short term accommodation in Noosa. Until then we’ll continue to liaise with council to ensure we have the latest information to help our clients get all their ducks in a row before applications open.

What information is required to make an application for STA approval?

An application form must be completed and application fees paid*.

The following information must also be provided with the application:

• A plan of the premises
  • a site plan showing the location of all buildings including any outdoor entertainment area, swimming pool or spa, vehicle parking area and the location of each window and door opening of any adjoining residence;
  • a floor plan showing the use of each room and the maximum number of people to be accommodated in each bedroom.
• Confirmation the premises can be lawfully used for short stay letting
  • by a development approval; or
  • as accepted development or accepted development subject to requirements in Noosa Plan 2020; or
  • by existing use rights; and
  • complies with development approval conditions or if for existing use rights, the relevant planning scheme requirements at the time the short stay letting use commenced.
• Confirmation
  • the premises will not be used as a party house;
  • the premises is lawfully constructed and classified for its use;
  • a current pool safety certification has been issued by a licensed QBCC pool safety inspector; and
  • a current electrical safety certification for the smoke alarms has been issued by a licensed electrical contractor.
• Contact person information
  • name and telephone number of the contact person responsible for the premises (may include an individual, letting agency, property manager, security firm or the like);
  • confirmation the contact person is:
  • available 24 hours a day 7 days per week;
  • within 20km of the premises; and
  • responsible for the premises including addressing complaints and visitor queries.

*Fees have been waived until June 30, 2022

The bullets above outline the information required for the application. As discussed we await more specific detail about some of these points.

We also note that currently there are additional requirements not highlighted in the application process such as the development of a Code of Conduct for guests. You also need to make available upon request a register of complaints and a register of guests.

Short Stay and Short Term Accommodation Town Planning Consultants

We still have questions and we continue to engage with council to clarify some of the questions we have raised today and in the past. As we get closer and closer to the implementation of these new laws we can understand why many operators are concerned about meeting council’s requirements precisely.

Don’t risk your STA operation. Make sure you talk to the experts at RG Strategic. We’ll handle all facets of your application and approval.

The RG Strategic town planning team have invested the time to understand the new laws and how they need to be interpreted and applied. If you have any concerns about your application, ensuring you meet requirements so you can continue your operation, talk to us today. We are here to help.

Feature Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

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