30 July 2015

www.noosa.cciq.com.au
[email protected]

P.O. Box 1639                                                                                       9 Allambi Terrace
Noosa Heads, Qld 4567                                                                      Noosa Heads, Qld 4567

30 July 2015
The Assessment Manager Noosa Council [email protected]
SUBMISSION
Material Change of Use Application MCU14/0106
28 Eenie Creek Rd Noosaville – Noosa Civic Shopping Centre Expansion Proposal
Dear Sir:
CCIQ Noosa Chamber of Commerce objects to this current proposal on the grounds that it does not conform with the town planning scheme and other relevant planning documents, will negatively impact current retail businesses and is not supported by the wider Noosa business community:
1. Based on the Independent Town Planning advice sought by the CCIQ Noosa Chamber of Commerce, the proposal is non-compliant with the Planning Scheme.
The proposal conflicts with the intended and planned form and function of the Noosa Business Centre (“NBC”):
1.1. The scale of the proposal does not provide and prevents the range of intended uses including a substantial amount of non-retailing development for SMEs and adequate skilled employment opportunities including technology and information based employment as originally planned for the NBC;
1.2. The proposal involves some 23,000m² of additional retail facilities:
a) The NBC already has exceeded the desirable retail floor space of up to 18,300m² in Precincts B1 and B2 (where 23,900m² of retail floor space has already been developed); and
b) No additional retail was originally planned for the NBC; and
c) The proposal is contrary to all previous and current planning for the NBC; and will preclude the NBC ever achieving its desired role of accommodating new business and new employment opportunities beyond the retail sector.
2. According to the majority of CCIQ Noosa Chamber of Commerce committee members and advice received from affiliated local business associations, the current Noosa Civic Expansion Proposal will negatively impact the business community and restrict business development.
2.1 The addition of continued retail development in the NBC will adversely affect current retail businesses:
a) The proposal will contribute to unacceptable levels of increased retail floor space; and
b) The existing Noosa Civic retail precinct has been unable to achieve full-occupancy; and
c) A high rate of retail vacancies currently exists within the Noosa Shire
2.2 Precincts E1 and E6 are intended to be employment precincts with office development, technology based research and development, business offices and civic purposes.
a) The proposed development unacceptably diminishes the capacity of the NBC to attain its desired and planned range of facilities to accommodate opportunities for suitable diversification of employment opportunities in appropriate planned locations.
3. Based on CCIQ Chamber of Commerce's online survey, the greater business community has taken a largely negative position on the current proposal.
3.1 The online survey consisted of five questions requiring three 1 to 5 sliding scale responses and two Yes/No/Unsure responses.
a) The survey included 164 respondents; and
b) Generally across all five questions, only 33% showed a favourable response (29%-39%) to the current expansion proposal and 57% (52%-62%) indicated an unfavourable response to the proposed expansion; and
b) On average 10% held a neutral position; that is, ticked 3 on the sliding survey of 1 to 5 or choose an unsure/I don't know response.
3.2 The overall feedback from the survey by the CCIQ Chamber of Commerce members and  greater business community members was negative and unsupportive of the current proposal.