STRATEGIC planner and former Noosa councillor Russell Green has joined calls for more diverse housing in order to tackle the growing shortage of affordable accommodation in the shire.

"I welcome the discussion happening on affordable housing, and happy to see [Noosa MP] Sandy Bolton calling for the same thing,” the former planning portfolio councillor said.

"Noosa Council has prepared a very good report towards the new planning scheme, and came up with 39 recommendations to feed into the new planning scheme.”

Mr Green said the current planning scheme was old and outdated and Noosa Council had prepared "a very good report” towards the new planning scheme.

"The whole process of [council] amalgamation and de-amalgamation has set us back a long way,” he said.

"I am hoping council takes the recommendations on board.”

The report underlines the significance of our ageing demography and the need for more aged care centres, projecting by 2036 "57.2 per cent of all residents in Noosa shire will be aged 45 and over, with almost a third of all residents forecast to be aged 65 and over”.

But affordable housing for working people and families was getting harder to come by, as new housing continued to over-supply mansion-style homes at the top end of the market.

"Noosa Council talked about a range of housing choices,” Mr Green said.

"There are about 3000 people employed at Noosa Civic and Noosaville's industrial estate around Venture Drive - we need to bring choice for workers and families closer to their place of work.

"We don't want Noosa to exceed limits set out by council and the state - but we have to create 'great communities' in a town planing sense.”

Relying on rural communities with lower-cost housing only exacerbated transport and potential congestion issues, he said.

"It's foolish to think rural communities are 'bunk rooms' for employees working in coastal suburbs,” Mr Green said.

"We can't use towns like Cooroy just as lower-cost housing areas as it doesn't solve the transport commuting issues.”

"We need smaller housing options in coast area suburbs.”