2015-09-15 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      15 SEPTEMBER 2015


 Issues                                                            Comments
 Noosa Council has a limit of infrastructure ability, a
 population cap, if you wish to call it that, and we are not far
 from achieving that. I do not believe this development is
 necessary to support our maximum population goals in
 Noosa shire.
 Once created, the viability of the additional retail space at
 the SBC might be used as a precedent for the need of a
 greater support population putting pressure on residential
 development of the rural properties surrounding the SBC.


 Traffic
 Many more daily car movements would be added to an                The proposal raises significant traffic and road
 already congested Eumundi-Noosa Road.                             infrastructure concerns considered prohibitive to
 One of the lovely things about Noosa is the lack of traffic       the development.
 lights. The expansion is understood to require traffic lights
 to be installed at the corner of Eenie Creek Road and
 Eumundi Road. This would make Eumundi Road a regular
 gridlock area causing traffic hold ups at other roundabouts
 and could end up meaning even more traffic lights on
 Eumundi Road.
 Parking
  Make sure there is more than enough parking. The lack          The development’s has a shortfall of parking with
    of parking is what killed off Hastings Street, the             insufficient justification provided to support a
    Junction, Tewantin and Peregian areas.                         relaxation.
  Parking is already inadequate for the structure that we
    have in the Centre…the additional parking will not make
    much difference

5.     CONCLUSION
The proposed shopping centre expansion raises fundamental conflicts with planning intent for the
site under the SEQ Regional Plan and The Noosa Plan, which seek the long-term preservation of
the land for non-retail uses that broaden and diversify the local economy and generate new
employment opportunities. The applicant acknowledges a degree of planning conflict and has
provided a highly detailed application supported by extensive specialist reports. Notably, the
development seeks to address a number of issues that arose from the assessment of a previous
shopping centre proposal on the site, including:

   A smaller expansion that does not include a department store;
   Completion of the ring road on the site as sought by the NBC Master Plan;
   A smaller footprint across the Covenant J area to connect the shopping centre;
   A design that seeks to respond to the Noosa “look and feel” with interesting architectural
     elements and connections to outdoor spaces and the natural setting;

The development is framed as responding to pressing community needs indicated by: a high level
of escape expenditure from the Noosa Civic catchment; comparatively low provision of existing
retail floor space, including discount department stores; and the strong performance of existing
supermarkets. Future retail spending growth is said to be driven in part through population growth,
particularly around Peregian Springs and Coolum.




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