Civic3

Andrew Clarke								0437 147 211,   5474 3997
21 Lake Weyba Drive							[email protected]
Noosaville

14 July 2015

To the Assessment Manager

Noosa Civic Expansion MCU14/0106

The Civic Stage 3+ proposal is a comprehensive and captivating presentation describing a densely urbanized Noosa based on The Retail Experience rather than on the friendly community atmosphere that so many of us came here for.

Somehow the Technology and Innovation centre originally promised ended up as a typical suburban shopping centre, closed for eight hours each day, its effect on our community possibly locked in by the Noosa Plan, which specifically restricts competition with the Civic. No significant residential space within walking distance, little community connection. Noosa Junction was the natural Town Centre and was described as such in the Noosa Junction Plan which was dumped by the SCRC.  This lack of vision is lamentable, this planning philosophy outdated.  It is not too late to develop the Junction to provide the retail and cultural amenities deserved of Noosa.

This proposal manages to omit reference to either Noosa Junction or Noosa Village as having any relevance; however the demand predictions for Civic3+, quoted to 2013, actually apply across the shire. Somehow these growth figures produced to justify approval cover areas such as “Doonan” which now seems to include all the land south of the Civic site and across to Lake Weyba.  Remember the “Population Cap”?

The proposal offers many more shops including Coles and Aldi.  This will further damage locally owned businesses elsewhere in the Shire, while the profits from big name outlets and franchises will go out of town.  This proposal also ignores the fact that there is already a well-designed and successful Maroochy city centre a short drive to the south with comprehensive plans for development.  It is unlikely that Civic could compete without a dramatic increase in the population of the Noosa area.  Do we want that?