Traffic Report 132009.1102.01

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in centres and reduces average spend at centres. This is why we find urban centres with higher

parking rates having lower retail turnovers.          It must be taken into consideration that additional

parking at this site will risk more arrival by car than other modes, more driving within the centre
than walking and reduced economic sustainability for the Hastings Street precinct. Councils
Sustainable Transport Strategy highlights the issue of parking                  over   supply (Section 5.3) and
discussed the inappropriateness of minimum parking rates.




4. Appropriate Car Parking Supply of the Subject Site

Council’s "Driveway and Carparking Code" requires the minimum parking rates of 1 space per
10m2 for an outdoor dinning area excluding kitchen and food storage area and 1 space per 20m2
for a shop.         Adopting Council’s minimum parking rates, an additional 14 spaces would be
required to be provided for the proposed           expansion {14 spaces         =
                                                                                    (76+56)m2 / 10m2 + 19m2 /
20m2). This minimum parking requirement is considered to be a relatively high rate designed to
cater for a theoretical peak demand at this mixed-use development (and does not actually take

into account the fact that it is a mixed use site) located in the heart of Noosa. It is obvious that
the peak         parking demand at this location in particular is not predictable or fixed and it can
change significantly over time as it is a tourist attraction and there many inter-related land uses.

It is understood that most of the staff do not park onsite and use public transport and bicycles.
It   is   also    understood   that visitors to the       site    are    predominantly   from   Hastings Street
accommodation and Sebel Hotel tenants during the morning and noon peak periods, therefore,
most of these visitors walk to the site and would not generate any                     parking demand.    From

observation, it is noted that there are car parking spaces not utilised during the morning and
noon      peak periods.

Currently, the car parking demand associated with the site peaks on Friday and Saturday
evenings, it is believed that it would continue to be the case after the proposed expansion. As
evidenced from site observations, it is understood that apart from a couple of absolute peak                                )
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holiday weekends, the car park within the site turns over well and spaces are generally available.
It typically does not take long for a visitor to the site to find a car parking space even on Friday
and Saturday evenings.


Simple adoption of the minimum car parking requirements, which are based on estimated near-
peak stand-alone demand for parking dependant simply on the size and type of the proposed
development. is likely to lead to the oversupply of car parking spaces for the proposed
expansion. This would result in the negative side effects outlined in section 3 of this report.

It is considered to be a better engineering solution to not oversupply car parking spaces, but to
ensure     that an    appropriate parking supply is available. Although Council’s code requires an
additional 14 car parking spaces to be provided for the proposed expansion, it is believed that

the existing car parking supply would continue to serve the parking demand satisfactorily after
the proposed expansion given:

     ~    The proposed dining area and display area would not generate any additional staff parking

          demand;

     ~    Visitors to the site are predominantly from            Hastings Street accommodation and Sebel
          Hotel tenants, who would not generate parking demand;

     ~    Most visitors to the site visit multiple tenancies along Hastings Street;




                                          5102.002(1)-Car Parking Assessment                             Page 4