2018-03-12 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                   12 MARCH 2018


Safety Issues

At the meeting on 15 February 2018, the Department reiterated its concerns regarding the safe
movement of vehicles and vessels onto the QBFP site and its desire to secure access and
control of the area for improved safety. The legal street access to the site is 2 Russell Street,
however, the site is currently accessed via a concrete driveway from the Holiday Park (see
Attachment 2) and accordingly, the Department wishes to secure access and control of this
driveway. In the Department’s view, the area experiences significant tourist vehicle and
pedestrian traffic requiring QBFP to transit this area with restricted visibility while reversing a
vehicle/vessel into the driveway. The Department proposed that to achieve improved safety
outcomes the creation of a road opening or easement over the current driveway was required in
favour of the Department.

Discussion

Creation of an easement or road opening over the current driveway would not alleviate the
Department’s safety concerns. Council has no objection to QBFP continuing to access the
Holiday Park given the infrequent nature of the use to reverse vehicles/vessels onto the site.
Practical measures such as spotters, etc. are preferred to land tenure instruments that:
    Remove Council control over a portion of the Holiday Park;
    Encumbers the lot creating unnecessary complexity;
    Reduce the size of the Holiday Park encouraging the parking of QBFP vehicles on the
      driveway; and
    Enlivens the future possibility of the installation of gates/fences to form a buffer around the
      driveway to ‘enhance safety’. If this were to occur, it would create an unnatural break in the
      Holiday Park reserve.

One option to provide ongoing and secure access for QBFP through the Holiday Park is the
development of a Deed of Agreement. Specifically, the Deed of Agreement:
1.   Is legally binding;
2.   Is not a registered dealing on the title;
3.   Retains the complete Holiday Park land holding as envisaged in its reserve status and by
     the State Government’s Queensland Heritage listing; and
4.   Allows the Department to make a Material Change of Use application satisfying
     development conditions for access.

A Deed of Agreement will be discussed further with the Department should they wish to pursue
this option.

Conclusion

Construction of the new building has occurred without any consideration of the Noosa Plan nor
consultation with Council or the community. The building visually dominates the site and does not
protect the visual amenity of neighbouring properties or the Noosa River. The size, bulk and
appearance of the building constitutes a material change of use and requires a Development
Permit under the Noosa Plan.

The original 80ha reserve for public purposes (which included the Noosa River Holiday Park) was
developed in 1980 and just under 3ha remains within the Holiday Park reserve. Requests by the
State Government to further reduce the size of the Holiday Park and encumber the reserve by
establishing a formal easement or opening a road (which may have unintended future
consequences such as gates or fences) to facilitate access are not supported.



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