2016-02-02 I&S Committee - Item 4 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Traffic Study

1 INTRODUCTION
Noosa Council is preparing a new planning scheme. As part of that process, Holland Traffic
Consulting Pty Ltd has been commissioned to undertake a traffic study of the Noosa Shire area
with the aim of assessing past and present traffic conditions of the Major Road Network of
Noosa Shire, and predicting traffic growth and identifying road system upgrading requirements
to the year 2036.

This study deals only with the private vehicle based travel component of the transport system.
Subsequent studies will be undertaken to assess public transport, pedestrian and cycle
requirements.


1.1 Traffic planning principles
Noosa’s road planning philosophy to date has been to avoid traffic lights, maintain free flow
traffic conditions without queues or delay (managed by roundabouts), and to promote Active
Transport and Public Transport to reduce traffic demand on the road network and the need for
costly major road upgrades.

Noosa has a long history of having a documented strategic direction to maintain a free flowing
road system, based on having roundabouts at major intersections, so that vehicles are not
delayed at traffic signal controlled junctions. This is seen by the Council as an important part of
the “feel” of the Noosa area and as an important strategic differentiator compared to other
tourist areas. This is an important strategic input to this study.

The recently released “Noosa Vision” document – “Noosa Design Principles – How Noosa has
been shaped” outlines the following principles:

      Provide a transport network that caters for the needs of the community and blends into
       the environment rather than dominates it.

      Avoid the introduction of traffic lights wherever possible and use roundabouts instead.

      Design road systems to spread traffic loads across the network.


1.2 State roads and Council roads
The whole of Noosa Council is shown in Figure 1. The majority of traffic issues in Noosa are
contained within the Coastal area where the majority of the population and commercial areas
are located (which is also shown in Figure 1) comprising Tewantin, Noosaville, Noosa Heads,
Sunshine Beach, and extending south to Peregian Beach.

The existing road hierarchy of Noosa Council is also depicted in Figure 1, which also identifies
State-controlled roads including the Bruce Highway, Eumundi Noosa Rd south of Beckmans
Rd, Emu Mountain Rd, Cooroy Noosa Rd (west of Gyndier Dr), Cooroy Connection Rd and
Pomona Connection Rd, Kin Kin Rd, Louis Bazzo Drive and McKinnon Drive, all of which are
administered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR).



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