MCU14/0106 & OPW15/0001 Information Request Response Report (absent appendices)

                                                                                                             Noosa Civic Expansion
                               28 Eenie Creek Road, Noosaville and parts of the road reserves of Hofmann Drive and Walter Hay Drive



                There is a mechanism available for an applicant-driven masterplanning exercise to be
                undertaken, but the Applicant has not sought a Preliminary Approval overriding the planning
                scheme in this case, because the Applicant is not seeking to override the broad planning scheme
                intent for the SBC. It is not proposing an alternative future for the SBC. The Applicant has sought
                to demonstrate that even with the proposed development there remains capacity on the site to
                enable the achievement of Council’s vision for a dynamic and multi‐functional centre that
                integrates a range of retail, commercial, industrial and community activities. It certainly
                demonstrates that current and future need, over a conservative planning horizon, can be met on
                the site in a form contemplated by the planning scheme, with 13.1 hectares1 of vacant,
                development-ready land remaining for a broad range of uses. What those uses might be has not
                been articulated by the Applicant because it is not within the scope of the current development
                proposal. But it is also not relevant to the assessment of the proposed development because the
                Applicant is not seeking to deviate from the current planning intent for the site.
                As a consequence of this development application, this available land will have frontage to the
                completed ring road system and the retail centre. All accesses will be functional and access to
                the infrastructure enhanced. The application does not fetter the use of this available land for
                purposes consistent with The Noosa Plan, or for alternative uses. The available land parcels are
                large, flat, with road frontage and access to services.

2.2            Office Provision
               “The proposed development does not incorporate any significant element of commercial offices
               that would advance the non-retail knowledge-based aspirations of The Noosa Plan for Precinct
               E1 to any meaningful extent.

               Information Required:
               5     Provide amended plans or justification as to why the development could not
                     incorporate a significant portion of office development within a mixed-use
                     proposal.”
               RESPONSE
                Justification for not providing commercial office development as part of the proposed
                development was provided with the development application.
                There is no current demand for commercial office floor space within the SBC (see above), with
                vacancies already existing within the centre.
                Demand to 2031 is also limited to 8,000sqm on the high range estimates.
                Consequently there is limited need for commercial office floor space.
                Please refer to the Noosa Civic Commercial Needs Assessment prepared by Urbis and included
                as Appendix K to the town planning report that accompanied the development application for
                further details.
                Further, in response to Item 34 of Council’s information request (see below), Urbis undertook a
                demand analysis adopting a white collar employment proportion of 20% rather than 13.7% as
                outlined in the Noosa Civic Commercial Needs Assessment. The result, outlined in Appendix C
                – Commercial Needs Response Report to this report, is that:
                (a) the total number of white collar jobs in the study area increases by approximately 32,540
                    jobs between 2013 and 2031;
                (b) the additional jobs results in additional commercial office floor space demand at Noosa Civic
                    increasing to approximately 5,450m2 and 10,090m2 respectively; and
                (c) the increase in commercial office floor space demand of around 1,110m2 (27% market
                    share) and 2,060m2 (50% market share) over the 18 year period to 2031 equates to an
                    additional 60m2 to 114m2 per year.

1
 Combined site area of Precincts E2 – E7, excluding the Masters’ site in Precinct E5.
June 2015                                                  Cardno HRP                                                            9