MCU21_0110 Proposed hotel - Noosa Springs - Bushfire_evacuation concerns

       3. APPENDIX IV - Emergency Response Plan

Council’s Further Information Request – Bushfire requires a letter from the QFES which acknowledges
their involvement in consultation and support of the proposed solution. No evidence of QFES
involvement in consultation or review of this document has been provided.

It is noted that Appendix IV – Emergency Response Plan, which is in draft form, is yet to be signed off
by the QFES, Queensland Police, Queensland SES and Noosa Council.

Whilst recognizing that Appendix IV – Emergency Response Plan is a draft document, it appears to have
been assembled in haste to enable submission to support the MCU Application. The document
requires further work and consultation with the appropriate emergency services before it could be
accepted in support of the proposed hotel Application.

APPENDIX IV – EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

Comments on RFA17-040 - Bushfire Hazard Assessment & Mitigation Plan prepared by Rob Friend &
Associates Pty Ltd. Revision No. 04 dated 30 April 2022
(Attachment 4 to Adamson Town Planning response letter dated 16th May 2022).

Bushfire Hazard Assessment

Appendix I – Response to Noosa Plan 2020 - Natural Hazard Overlay Code

Table 8.2.3.3 – Criteria for assessable development

Response R7.1 point 2 states “The boutique hotel construction is occurring in the western portion of the
site and is therefore furthest from the hazardous vegetation to the east and north. Additionally, a pool
will separate the hotel from the vegetation to the east and in the east of the subject site.”

This is not correct. Several of the proposed hotel buildings lie to the east of the site and will be closest
to the areas of High Potential Bushfire Intensity along Resort Drive.

The pool is central to the development and is surrounded on three sides by the hotel buildings so does
not separate the hotel from the vegetation to the east. The pool will be impacted by the area of High
Bushfire Intensity to the north which currently includes the northern half of the top carpark, and some
of the northern end of the middle car park.

It is noted that the whole of the development lies in the Potential Impact Buffer Zone, and so any of
the buildings in the proposed development and the existing buildings in the Golf and Spa Resort could
be subject to smoke and burning embers.

The hotel is not a stand-alone facility, being a neighbour to the Clubhouse and spa facilities and three
residential areas. The Emergency Event Notifications by the Emergency Services should be issued to all
of these entities at the same time. The Watch & Act warning for the hotel allows for guests and non-
essential staff to leave the hotel within 30 minutes of the warning being issued. Presumably this is the
same for any residents in the three residential communities, plus any golfers or other users of the spa
and facilities. If this is the case, there could be a considerable number of vehicles attempting to use
Links Drive which will increase the risks to the evacuating vehicles and their occupants.

Even the use of a safe on-site assembly or evacuation area is not without its problems given the
number of people who might be involved in such an operation. Even the use of specific areas of the
golf course is not straightforward as individual precincts in Noosa Springs have identified areas of the
golf course in their own evacuation plans, considering the areas of vegetation on the course and the
possibility of helicopters using the golf course lakes for firefighting water.

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