Noosa Council Submission 18 December 2015 - Final submission with table of submitters

Despite the applicant’s assertions that it has incorporated best practice into its
service station design by implementing a VR1 and VR2 recovery system to eliminate
benzene and other harmful emissions from adversely affecting the health of GSLC
students, their families and staff along with other users of the GSLC, this assertion
FAILS to take into account:

(i)     Adverse health impacts that will occur from traffic emissions as a result of the
        increased traffic using the service station in close proximity to GSLC, 24 hours
        a day, 7 days a week;
(ii)    A 2010 Spanish study in a reputable peer review journal showing that benzene
        levels are harmful up to a radius of 50m. Here the distance between the fuel
        dispensers and the GSLC toddler pool and the HPE Centre are 30 metres and
        40 metres respectively;
(iii)   The GSLC pool is an OPEN AIR facility. There is no sufficient buffer to absorb
        the harmful air emissions, particularly when the wind is coming from the west
        or south west;
(iv)    That the WA EPA recommends a separation distance of 200 meters between a
        service station operating 24 hours a day and a sensitive land use, which
        includes a school; and
(v)     Noosa temperatures are usually high and therefore the warmer conditions will
        increase the amount of vapour release from the service station and emissions
        from traffic.

Accordingly, the Noosa Council should refuse the DA outright given that, on present
scientific evidence and the precautionary principle, the DA cannot be acceptably
conditioned to mitigate the adverse health impacts outlined above.

b) Adverse traffic impact on the community

The DA will significantly increase the traffic on the Eumundi-Noosa Road and the
roundabout outside the GSLC in the event of queuing to access the proposed
site, adding to traffic congestion. Additionally, the stationary traffic backing up
along Goodchap Street will also have a potentially deleterious effect on the flow
of vehicles accessing the Noosa Hospital, including emergency vehicles.

The safety of cyclists (including GSLC students) using the cycle lane or the
adjacent pathway will be compromised, with an increased number of
encounters between bicycles and vehicles.

The volume of traffic along the Eumundi Noosa Road will make it difficult for
vehicles exiting the service station and wishing to cross into the far lane in order
to be in the correct lane to completely circle the Walter Hay Drive roundabout
so that they can travel in an easterly direction towards the Noosa river. This
currently is already very difficult to do at pick up and drop off times, let alone
with increased traffic.



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