Submission+Form Matthew Higham · MCU13/0092

Regional Strategy and Planning
Notice of Submission

Sustainable Planning Act 2009

1. Application details
File No    MCU13/0092
Postal address of Land (as advertised)  5-7 Rufous St., Peregian Beach Qld 4573 Lot 94 SP 137431
Nature of Proposed Development - Development Permit for Material change of use of premises

2. Submitter details
Full name of Submitter: Matt Higham
Postal address 26 Spoonbill Street, Peregian Beach
Suburb  Sunshine Coast	State QLD	Postcode 4573
Signature(s)
Date of Submission 29.08.13
N.B.	This form has been designed for the convenience of the public, and any persons wishing to lodge a submission are not obliged to use this form.

3. Details of Submission
Pursuant to the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, I (We), the undersigned make the following submission:
I object to the commercial use of the Peregian Bowls Club area which is currently zoned Open Space/ Recreation as determined in both The Noosa Plan 2006 and the draft Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme (2012).
I believe this development will adversely affect the consistent land and community use of the current Tennis Courts, Community House, Kindergarten, Veggie Village and Di Hurst Oval and, adversly impact the surrounding residents.

The Sunshine Coast Council Open Space Strategy 2011 identifies that “Peregian Beach locality area is generally under provided for with recreational parks” (2011:35) that being the case it is totally illogicial and we object to loss of this recreational land for the current and future residents of PeregianBeach and wider catchment to commercial development.

As an overseas investor in the area, the primary reason I chose Peregian Village (and the Sunshine Coast in general) is because of its outstanding natural beauty, its unique small boutique shops and village square, and the total absence of large “chain” supermarkets, and, from what I could gather, the local community and council’s commitment to sustainable and healthy living. – which is a rare thing. To change the zoning and add the supermarket is diamterically opposed to all of the above and will totally change the feel of that part of the village (which will ripple through the whole commuity). It will also undermine all faith I have in the council to protect the outstanding natural beauty of the area, which is, after all, the area’s biggest asset. Once this beauty has been eroded and diluted what will be left? This could also easily be the thin end of the wedge / the race to the bottom for local businesses, as they struggle to compete with the buying power of a national chain. I have seen all this before in UK. It is incredibly shortsighted. As a father to a young boy it would be devastating if the village loses a recreational/sporting area to a cookie-cutter supermarket, which is not even required (supermarket in both Peregian Springs (easy cycle)  and Noosa). With the obesity crisis as it is in Australia (and the world), do the council not have a social and moral responsbility to provide more leisure areas for exercise rather than less?  Indeed, it seems bordeline moronic for the council to state in its Open Space Strategy that the area needs more recreational parks, and two years later (having not yet addressed this issue) countenance putting a supermarket selling cheap food in a place that has in fact already been zoned for leisure use. It is saying we really need more of X, so how do we actually solve that issue, we get rid of X!! What is the point in the council spending rate-payers money on the production of a commendable/visionary strategy which is then flagrantly ignored. I cannot understand this at all. As a lawyer I would also be interested in knowing the precise legal basis the council has for being able to flip the zoning – particularly in light of the Open Space Strategy and the number of people in the community objecting to this.

Many thanks for considering this objection, and I sincerely hope for our children’s sake the council grasp the nettle and make the right decision to reject the change of use. The alternative is the council setting a terrible precedent of riding roughshod over recreational zoning in the name of expedience.

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1 of 1	Regional Strategy and Planning Notice of Submission	FM1303/3-22/06/2012