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




7                 Key Planning Matters
The proposed development, in some instances, proposes Alternative Solutions to the Probable Solutions of
the codes of The Noosa Plan. In these instances, the Alternative Solutions proposed demonstrate the
proposal’s compliance with the corresponding Specific Outcome, in accordance with Part 2, Section 2.8.2 of
The Noosa Plan.
Instances where Alternative Solutions are proposed, or where the proposed development does not comply
with the Specific Outcomes of the relevant codes in The Noosa Plan, has informed the key planning matters
and are discussed in this section of the report.

7.1               Achieving the Shire Business Centre Vision
The Noosa Shire Council planning scheme intends that the SBC develops as the highest order centre in the
Shire and the focus for key employment and business activities within Noosa.
The proposed development involves an expansion of the existing Noosa Civic (the retail core) into parts of the
site which are currently identified in the planning scheme as an Employment precinct (predominantly Precinct
E1), part of Precinct E6 (road), Precinct E7 (road) and Precinct OS7.
The proposed development, however, does not undermine the vision for the SBC.
Instead, the proposed development seeks two complimentary outcomes:
1.          to satisfy a current community need for additional retail floor space, in a manner which maintains the
            structure of the SBC intended by The Noosa Plan; and
2.          to facilitate the SBC achieving its intended role and function under The Noosa Plan, by:
            a.        not fettering the accommodation of employment-generating, civic, administrative and transit
                      activities; and
            b.        providing the vitality and critical mass necessary for the retail centre to function as a catalyst
                      to attract the employment-generating, civic, administrative and transit activities.
The Noosa Plan provides for the development of up to 197,300m2 of floor space within the SBC2.
Of the total developable floor space, 30,641m2 has currently been developed as part of the existing Noosa
Civic, including 5,000m2 of commercial office floor space. The proposed development comprises 22,870m 2
GLA of additional and reconfigured retail floor space and 9,655m 2 GFA of mall and back of house area, which
will increase total floor space to approximately 63,166m2. This initial focus on retail development, followed by
a subsequent increase in non-retail development, is consistent with the ordinary sequencing and maturing of
a mixed use centre such as the SBC.
If the existing Noosa Civic and the proposed development are taken into account and development on the
residential precinct excluded, 92,700m2 of floor space remains available on future development sites for non-
retail development3, calculated in accordance with the plot ratios for these precincts specified in The Noosa
Plan.
It should be noted that this calculation does not take into account the Masters Home Improvement Centre
(which includes an outdoor garden centre component) and separate showroom, which has been approved,
but not yet constructed, or recent warehouse approvals within but at the western periphery of the SBC. These
developments are located in SBC Precincts B3, OS3, OS5, E4 and E5 and comprise approximately 26,931m2
of floor area. If the Masters and warehouse approvals are implemented the total available floor space on future
development sites within the SBC will be reduced to 65,769m2.
A commercial needs assessment prepared by Urbis (refer to Appendix K to this report for details) estimates
the demand for commercial office floor space in the SBC between 2013 and 2031 to be between 1,360m2 and
8,000m2.


2
    Calculated by applying the plot ratios to the nominated areas for each precinct on Map SBC
3
    Calculated by applying the plot ratios to the nominated areas for Precincts E1 – E7 and Precinct REC/MU on Map SBC


December 2014                                                Cardno HRP                                                           59