2015-06-23 Planning & Organisation Committee Meeting Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  23 JUNE 2015


3.       STATUTORY PROCESS
The proposed change to the development approval requested by the applicant is determined
to constitute a permissible change in accordance with s367 of the Sustainable Planning Act
2009 on the grounds that:
    The change would not result in a substantially different development because the
      changes do not propose a new use, or works, or apply to a new parcel of land.
    The change would not trigger a new referral to the State Assessment and Referral
      Agency;
    The original application was assessed against The Noosa Plan, with no submissions
      being made at the time. The proposed changes would not likely cause a person to
      make a properly made submission as the changes remain consistent with the
      character of the approved development on the site; and
    The changes do not involve prohibited development.

4.       ASSESSMENT
Central Queensland University (CQU) is currently the largest tenant at the Noosaville
Medical & Professional Centre and is using substantially more of the total floor area than
permitted by the original development approval (see Table.2).

Table.2 – Breakdown of uses currently operating from Noosaville Medical & Professional
Centre.
              Use Class               Actual Use Area        Stage A         Stage B (multi
                                                                             storey carpark)
                                                 2                      2               2
 Commercial – Type 1 Office           1,141m                 2,420m          1,368m
                                                 2                      2
 Commercial – Type 2 Medical          1,869m                 3,000m          3,000m
                                                                                        2

                                                 2                  2                   2
 Education – Type 3 Adult             2,723m                 790m            1,600m
                                             2                      2               2
 Retail – Type 1 Local                100m                   100m            100m
                                             2                      2               2
 Retail – Type 2 Shop                 221m                   236m            236m
                                                 2
 Total                                6,054m                 6,304m
                                                                        2
                                                                             6,304m
                                                                                        2




Applicant’s Request
The application seeks to cater for the University’s needs, without constructing the required
multi storey carpark on the site. In support of the proposal, the applicant describes how
some of the teaching areas are more specialised and don’t cater for a high number of
students at any one time, such as library areas and nurse training theatres.
A carparking survey was also provided with the application to justify the request. The survey
was undertaken between May 2013 and August 2014 and indicates that, of the 315
carparking spaces currently available on the site (excluding the 40 spaces for the childcare
centre), an average of 75% of the spaces were occupied (238), with the August 2014 survey
showing 93% (293) of the on-site spaces occupied. The applicant further submits that an
existing floor plan survey of the buildings estimates the use areas associated with ‘student
contact’ to be around 1,400m2, with the remaining 1,323m2 of the university’s use area
attributed to library/resource rooms, offices and foyers. An online survey was also
undertaken by the applicant of students and staff to determine travel and parking behaviour.
The applicant submits the results of this survey indicate the vast majority of university
students and teachers are dependent on cars to travel to the site, with potential for travel
behaviour change by way of a travel smart action plan.

The applicant submits the surveys justify the proposed changes to the approval and
contends the current use is not causing any off-site parking or traffic impacts on the
surrounding road network.

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