MCU14/0106 Submission PM Neutral - Brian O'Connor

Mr Brett de Chastel
Chief Executive Officer
Noosa Council
P.O. Box 141
Tewantin
Queensland 4565

Re: MCU14/0106 - Proposed extension of No os a Civie Shopping Centre

Dear Mr de Chastel

I refer to the application to Noosa Council from the Qucensland Investment Corporation (QIC)
relating to QIC's plans to extend the existing Noosa Civic Shopping Centre (MCU14/0106). I shall
confine my comments to active and public transport consequences and impacts of the proposed
development, most especially the need to examine closely the adequacy of the existing bus stop
facilities at Noosa Civic, which the QIC application says will be retained (\\~thout expansion or
relocation). These facilities are adequate to serve the public transport needs of shoppers, tourists
and centre clients and retail-business staff, QIC argues.

Its \~ewpoint is that:
    •   The existing bus interchange is considered adequate to cater for both the proposed
        development and the existing centre;
    •   Furthermore, the (existing) interchange can accommodate a substantial expansion of
        services ,\ithout major changes to the existing arrangement;
    •   The location of the existing interchange is considered appropriate to service the existing
        centre and the proposed new development.

I would argue contrary to the QIC position and put forward these points:
    •   The existing buses accessing the current Noosa Ci~c bus interchange experience annoying
        delays at peak periods, thereby extending journey times and acting as a disincentive for
        people to use the buses;
    •   At times, buses must wait along the internal Noosa Civic road network while a bus at the
        interchange drops off, or collects, passengers and then pulls out, freeing up a spot for the
        waiting bus. This hinders the function of the internal road network and the problem ,,~ll
        only get worse when the new extension starts to attract considerable additional patronage;
    •   To access the new shops and facilities \\~thin an expanded Noosa Ci~c, passengers alighting
        at the existing bus interchange \\ill have to undertake a circuitous walk to get to and from
        where they want to go \,~thin the extension;
    •   The prospect of more cars accessing Noosa Ci\~c, and their movements - as a consequence of
        the new shops and businesses - \,illlead to more congestion on internal roads (further
        delaying buses on their journey and making journey times variable and less reliable);
    •   More buses ,,~ll be required to bring people to and from an expanded Noosa Ci~c, possibly
        involving new bus routes, and the existing interchange \\illnot have sufficient capacity at
        peak periods;
    •   The new businesses, retailers and operators likely to be attracted to rent premises in the new
        extension (by their nature) ,\ill have as their clients a considerable percentage of older and




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