Letter of objection McCready · MCU13/0092

To The Chief Executive Officer,
Sunshine Coast Council
Locked Bag 72,
Sunshine Coast Mail Centre, QLD 4560
Applicant: Multispan Australia
Address of Land: 5‐7 Rufous Street, Peregian Beach.
Proposal: Integrated shopping complex development

Dear Sir,
RE: Submission to a development application

Development application for a material change of use of premises Integrated Shopping Complex Development (Commercial Business- type 1 Office, Entertainment and dining, Business-type 1 food and beverage and retail business - type 2 shop and salon) over Land situated at 5-7 Rufous Street, Peregian Beach and described as Lot 94 on SP137431: MCU13/0092

My husband and I, residents, business and property owners and dedicated community members of Peregian Beach, wish to object to the development application referenced above and submit the following grounds in support of our objection:

1. Commercial use of the Peregian Bowls Club area is in direct conflict with the Open Space/ Recreation zoning as set out in both The Noosa Plan 2006 and the draft Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme (2012).

2. The Open Space Recreation Zone description (Overall Outcomes, Noosa Plan 2006) states
"areas for open space contribute to the desired lifestyle of residents by offering a variety of passive and active recreational experiences that are conducive to community interaction and wellbeing."

Community interaction and participation in a range of physical and recreational activities is an important part of our local community’s culture. We encourage our children to walk, ride and play wherever possible in the local Peregian environment, which includes the kindergarten, veggie village and tennis courts, which we are regular attendees at.
Retaining the Bowls Club site for open space and recreational purposes would be a much better fit than a Commercial Development for this precinct.
3.The Sunshine Coast Council Open Space Strategy 2011 identifies that “Peregian Beach locality area is generally under provided for with recreational parks”(2011:35).
The loss of existing open space zoned land in this precinct would have a negative impact on the overall Open Space Strategy as adopted by Council as well as reducing open space land that has been identified as being needed for the well being of the community and future generations.

4. Increased safety risk to all pedestrians in Rufous Street and the surrounding access areas, including children riding their bikes and walking to the Kindy or to school buses on David Low Way.
The applicant's noise report states that all loading and service activities on site are to be limited between the hours of 7am and 6pm. Approval of the proposed development would result in a dramatic increase in traffic volumes along Rufous Street and heavy service vehicles, including semi trailers, would be forced to share the street with Kindergarten families during drop off and pick up times.
The kindergarten and community and sports groups who utilise Rufous street on a regular basis will be detrimentally affected by the additional heavy vehicles.

5. The likelihood of overflow into the Kindergarten and Veggie Village car parks from the proposed shopping complex will have an adverse effect on parking in the area. Apart from the nuisance of taking up parking spaces at peak times, which are already inadequate, there is the safety concern that customers of the shopping complex may not have the same mindfulness as Kindergarten parents when reversing out of their car park.
Furthermore, in the absence of any detail regarding the extent of works required to Rufous Street and in the absence of any detailed designs on the stated required upgrading of Woodland Drive and David Low Way intersection, we remain concerned about traffic congestion, lack of flow and pedestrian safety.
That the applicant doesn't see the need for separate pedestrian paths within the proposed car park, as requested by council, highlights a low priority for pedestrian safety. A dedicated footpath from a busy car park to a shopping complex is imperative for the safe passage of toddlers, prams, small children and the elderly in particular.

6. According to the applicant's noise report there will be increased noise levels in Rufous Street by 5dBA to 7dBA above current noise levels after construction. This will be noticeable to the Kindergarten children and staff, (who are accustomed to a very quiet, serene environment) and will likely have a negative impact on the children's routine rest/sleep time during the day. Increased fumes from the many trucks delivering to the shop and the increased traffic will also impact on our children at the kindy.

7. The needs assessment report indicates that the applicant sees a need for a supermarket to service the Peregian Beach area, stating that there is no suitably zoned parcels of land of sufficient size to accommodate a supermarket. The report fails to acknowledge the existing approval at 215 David Low Way which has approval for 387 square metres of retail and could easily accommodate a supermarket to assist in meeting the needs of the Peregian Beach locals.
The report falsely states that the Friendly Grocer is no longer in operation. To the contrary, this convenience store continues to provide a valuable service to locals.

8. The report does not demonstrate the need for any additional shops. Instead, the "mix of Specialty Shops" listed as potential tenants, appear to be almost exact duplicates of the types of shops already in existence and well established within the Peregian Village. This demonstrates the applicant's wish to create a "new neighbourhood centre". This will further undermine the intent of the existing village centre which seeks to create a public place and sense of community.
The Overall Outcomes of the Noosa Plan state of Peregian Beach:
- a wide range of local Retail, Commercial and Entertainment and Dining Uses within the neighbourhood centre serves the immediate needs of the residents and visitors of the locality;
- the neighbourhood centre provides an informal village-like atmosphere, with a low key, attractive and safe village square that engenders a 'sense of place' and a public focus for the local community interaction and activity.
A new neighbourhood centre would diffuse and detract from the original village centre and duplicate shops and services.

9. The site is located within a precinct that is used for open space, recreational and community purposes including the Peregian Veggie Village Community Gardens, Peregian Tennis Club, Peregian Community Centre, Peregian Community Kindergarten and the Di Hurst Oval. All these  facilities are well established and well utilised by the community. The introduction of a development for pure commercial use will have a negative impact on our local Peregian families as well as other current low key users of Rufous Street in terms of community cohesion, traffic, safety, car parking, noise and growth of community and recreational activities.

Submitter details:
Full Name: Leigh McCready
Address: 8 Egret St, Peregian Beach
Date of Submission: 29 August 2013
Post  or email to : [email protected]