PM Submission - Ian & Jo Bell - MCU21/0110

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Section 3

Noosa Springs Boutique Hotel Resort Complex, at
61 Noosa Springs Drive, MCU21/0110

This is a submission in relation to this proposed development on behalf of lan
(submission writer) & Joanne BELL, being concerned residents, living nearby in the
Elysium Estate since 2015.

Contact details: [email protected] Mob 0410 488 196

Home: 4 Ironwood Lane, Elysium, Noosa Heads 4567

|, personally, had many years of experience in developing & managing 5 star rated tourist
accommodation (see Footnote) and, from that experience, | see fundamental wrongs or
shortcomings with the proposed development.

The proposal is a “boutique hotel” in a destination known not just nationally, but world
wide, for its beach, dining and leisure activity attractions. It is not like the Gold Coast in
terms of golfing tourism demand. It will primarily attract tourists who wish to enjoy the
beaches, the shopping & dining precincts of Hastings St, Noosa Junction and Gympie
Terrace and the river and hinterland experiences. This means predominantly car usage
(including car rental by flyers), so a transport/traffic report that talks of walking tracks,
cycle lanes, mopeds, e-scooters and limited public bus services, is totally misleading.

Moreover, the demographic of tourists who will pay luxury 5 star accommodation prices is
not the kind that will use those forms of transportation. Ergo, the proposal WILL have a
serious adverse impact on average car use. Hence it WILL, in peak and extended
seasons, aggravate the very serious unresolved issue in our road network, namely traffic
congestion and parking shortage in the Sunshine Beach Rd/Noosa Drive/Hastings St/
Noosa Parade/Weyba Rd loop with some flow on effects to Gympie Terrace & certain side
streets of Noosaville.

It is simply the wrong type of development for Noosa to meet luxury hotel demand. It is
too far from the beaches and river for any form of transport other than by car, and the
type of guests will generally not be ones to load kids & gear onto public transport. For
solving traffic issues as the area’s capacity is forced to grow, Noosa really needs more
high level accommodation within walking distance of the main attractions. Hence this is
wrong (too remote, being 5kms and at least 10 minutes away). If it is to be dealt with it
needs to have both far fewer than 112 rooms and far more (ie extra) on-site parking.

The traffic adviser’s report seems to purposely miss these key points.

An issue of serious concern to us, as residents of Elysium, is that the bush fire risk is high
and Noosa Springs Drive provides inadequate means of egress in an emergency, which
would be severely compromised by another 125 (say) vehicles being added. We
understand that local residents and bodies corporate have complained about this before
& sought some scheme of authority-controlled access from Noosa Springs Drive to Eenie
Creek Rd, west of the overhead road bridge, solely in a western direction of exit.

Additionally we found the Sustainable Design report communicated nothing more than
platitudes, in flowery confusing language (‘poetic’?).

 

 

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Importantly, having had koalas come in to visit trees in Elysium, including to our own
residence, we would also be concerned that ecological habitat matters are seriously dealt
with rather than through some form of bypassing financial transaction.

We also tend to agree with several seriously adverse aspects dealt with in a separately
lodged petition on behalf of certain Noosa Springs & Elysium residents, which we
understand has been facilitated through estate agent Sean Cary, so we signed that.

Concluding Note: The Adamson Town Planning Report June 2021 refers to “the chronic
shortfall and demand for modern luxury accommodation in the Noosa area, with the
development well located within an urban area of Noosa Heads, which has good
accessibility to Hastings Street, Main Beach, and the many restaurants and shops in the
locality and is about a 30 minute drive from the Sunshine Coast Airport”. This, particularly
the section | highlighted in blue, is seriously misleading and seems to be a purposeful
diversion from the likely truth. People will come more for beach holidays than golfing
holidays. Diversion from truth on car use dominance is also an aspect that appals us.

Moreover, there is nothing unique about hotel room accommodation in terms of satisfying
tourists’ demand relative to, for instance, serviced apartment accommodation. It is
notable in this regard that restaurant areas of Noosa Springs and Peppers, being remote
from main dining areas, have always been less used and in that context less
independently viable than dining establishments on the main dining strips of Hastings St
and Gympie Terrace. For such a large expansion in room capacity this development is in
the wrong place albeit clearly convenient for the owners, whilst being detrimental to the
rest of us here.

We would like to have had more time to review and comment on the proposal but its
details came to our attention only just prior the close of the submissions/consultation
period.

We hope that the above comments can be taken into account and given appropriate
weight in Council planning response deliberations.

Yours faithfully
Fel

lan F Bell
on behalf of The Bells’
IAN & JO BELL

 

Footnote: | was the creator & joint developer of two luxury tourist accommodation
establishments on the NSW Central Coast which were accorded 5 star ratings and won
numerous NSW tourism industry awards between 2001 & 2004. That legacy exists still in
the high-rating luxury boutique hotel resort complex now known as Bells at Killcare which
is situated above the southernmost beach north of the Greater Sydney tourist demand
sector (see www.bellsatkillcare.com.au), hence accessible only really by car.

There are quite a few parallels that can be drawn from this experience to the existing proposal.