PM Submission - Ian & Jo Bell - MCU21/0110

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’?).