2015-09-15 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                              15 SEPTEMBER 2015


The applicant suggest only modest impacts on existing centres within the Noosa Civic catchment,
which it says will be quickly offset by future spending growth.

This assessment finds merit in a number of aspects of the development. Whilst the footprint
significantly reduces the balance lands available for future commercial uses, the development
would see completion of the NBC ring road. Delivery of this road is desirable but is an existing
requirement for compliant development on the site. Frontage upgrades to the existing centre are
broadly supportable, as are elements of the reconfiguration of existing retail floor space. The issue
of capturing escape expenditure is identified by the applicant as a primary consideration. This is
acknowledged as relating to important land use planning issues because it reflects the extent to
which residents travel for goods and services. The development will provide additional retail choice
to residents, however, the assessment finds significant shortcomings in the applicant’s economic
assessment, specifically:
       A number of approved and future developments have been ignored. The degree to which
         the development would appropriately meet need for further supermarket development is
         overstated as a result, with further supermarkets likely better located closer to growing
         population centres to the south;
       It is suggested that 50% of all sales at the expanded centre will derive from current escape
         expenditure, including almost all non-food retail. This is impossible and the development’s
         retail impacts are therefore likely to have been understated;
       Escape expenditure is complex function of a number of factors that include:
     -     The primacy of the Principal Activity Centre at Maroochydore reflects its provision of
           higher order services greater retail provision and choice. The Centre has, and will
           continue to have, a significant “gravitational pull”.
     -     Maroochydore has been designated a Priority Development Area by the State and is
           about to undergo a major period of growth that will see the construction of a new CBD
           and further retail expansion that will increase its “gravitational pull”.
     -     The relative convenience of a passenger vehicle trip down the Sunshine Motorway to
           Maroochydore will remain a factor.
     -     Employment centres are dispersed throughout the Sunshine Coast, including
           Maroochydore. Since many people within the Noosa Civic catchment already travel to
           their place of work, retail spending results at other locations.
The major urban and retail expansion of Maroochydore and growing population centres to the
south of Noosa Civic are considered significant factors that reduce the degree to which the
development appropriately addresses need. Both the SEQ Regional Plan and The Noosa Plan
anticipate a degree of intra-regional travel and the applicant’s view the development can or should
reduce escape spending is not supported.

Potential impacts on existing local centres are also important, with the vitality of Noosa Junction of
particular concern. The applicant reports the development’s impacts on local centres as
approaching levels of concern but is considered to have understated the levels. It would be highly
undesirable for the development to impact on Noosa Junction to an extent that hinders its
revitalisation.

Traffic issues appear prohibitive to approval of the development. The assessment indicates
external road upgrades required to accommodate traffic impacts may extend to extensive
signalisation and widening of Eumundi Noosa Road, contrary to Noosa’s long held infrastructure
planning to provide a roundabout based low-key traffic network. The extent of required works are
unable to be fully quantified, based on the applicant’s submitted assessment but would come at
significant cost and disturbance. Critically, the works are unplanned and not part of Noosa’s Local
Government Infrastructure Plan.


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