MCU14/0106 & OPW15/0001 Town Planning Report & Appendix A Code Compliance

                                                                                                         Town Planning Report
                          28 Eenie Creek Road, Noosaville and parts of the road reserves of Hofmann Drive and Walter Hay Drive



        Businesses use energy efficiency principles in design and minimise the reliance on fossil fuels for
        thermal comfort and water heating.
        Protecting the long term viability of the Shire Business Centre may mean setting aside short term
        needs to ensure the medium-long term implementation of the centre. No other centres or major retail
        and commercial development are intended within the coastal urban settlements, with the exception of
        those servicing predominantly neighbourhoods and local communities.
        Existing centres in Noosa serve different roles and will strive to find a market edge, strengthen their
        market position and reinforce their individual identifies as a means of retaining their competitiveness
        within the established retail hierarchy.”
Applicant’s Response
The proposed development supports Council’s hierarchy of centres by providing an appropriate level of
additional retail and commercial services within the SBC, in an effort to promote its standing as the highest-
order centre within the Noosa Shire and as a MRAC under SEQRP 2009.
The proposal includes a discount department store, two supermarkets and a range of specialty stores which
promote greater convenience and choice for the Noosa community. It is expected to directly generate
approximately 800 (net) jobs as well as additional employment opportunities during construction and indirect
employment opportunities throughout the broader economy.
The proposal also serves as a catalyst for future development of the SBC creating the critical mass necessary
for the centre to become a true multi-functional employment node, whilst protecting the medium- and long-
term needs of the SBC by concentrating employment and support business services in the centre. The Retail
Needs Assessment prepared by Urbis (Appendix J to this report) demonstrates there is a need for additional
retail development in Noosa, whch can be accommodated in the SBC.
Although the expansion will assist Council in maintaining the significance of the SBC within the Noosa Shire,
the primacy of Maroochydore, as the highest-order retail and commercial centre in the Sunshine Coast, is not
undermined by the proposed expansion, particularly as the proposal does not include a department store. As
such, a proportion of Noosa’s higher-order needs will continue to be fulfilled by centres in other areas,
particularly the key regional centre of Maroochydore.
Similarly, the Retail Needs Assessment prepared by Urbis (Appendix J to this report) finds that the proposed
development will not impact on the role and function of other centres in the hierarchy.
The proposed expansion does not involve any land uses which would elevate the development to a level
beyond which the Noosa Shire population catchment is capable of supporting. Significantly, the retail need
assessment which is provided in support of this development application (refer Appendix J) demonstrates
that a development of the scale proposed is needed in Noosa in order to respond to current and projected
demand for retail and commercial services.
In addition, the proposed expansion does not affect Council’s master planning for the SBC, which has sufficient
capacity to accommodate projected employment and business growth. Moreover, the purposive intent of the
SBC, namely its accommodation of business, retail and other services supporting Noosa Shire, is not
undermined by the proposed expansion.
For a more detailed examination of how the vision for the SBC will be achieved and the economic and
community need for the proposed development, please refer to Section 7.0 of this report.
Accordingly the proposed development does not cut across any planning strategy or policy articulated in The
Noosa Plan.
Noosa Shire is defined by its natural character and landscape values, and the proposed expansion has been
designed to meet community expectations for contemporary South-East Queensland retail design guided by
sub-tropical design principles. The built form is low scale, using the land form to its advantage, and connected
to the environment, with a mix of indoor and outdoor environments to take advantage of Noosa’s sub-tropical
climate and lifestyle. The proposed development is screened by a vegetated buffer, predominantly 8m in depth
bordering the internal loop road, a low speed environment, which is further separated from the external road
network by future development land in Precincts E6 and E7. As a result, the development will not result in



December 2014                                         Cardno HRP                                                           49