30.09.21 Planning Report - Civic Lot 2 - NP 2020 · MCU21/0175

                               Queensland Regional Plan. It caters for the broader Noosaville,
                               Tewantin and hinterland areas of the shire. Its role and function are to
                               provide for a mixed-use Shire-wide Business Centre, with a focus on
                               employment growth and economic diversification being a key
                               employment hub for Noosa now and into the future. Innovation and
                               knowledge-based industries, health, research and education are
                               present as well as higher order sub-regional retail including a discount
                               department store and full line supermarket. There is a very limited
                               increase in retail floor space, recognising the role of the regional
                               activity centre at Maroochydore in providing high order retail needs.

The Noosa Business Centre (NBC) has a distinctive role, which is acknowledged in the SEQRP and
the Strategic Intent. The existing uses and built form provide a significant difference to that of Noosa
Junction. The NBC provides for Business activities (uses defined under this use group) in a format
that are not found at Noosa Junction and are generally outside the scope for that centre and other
centres in the Shire.

The proposed Business activities (Office and Showroom) are consistent with those already at the
NBC. Although the retail sector is not mentioned in the Strategic Intent as a key priority sector, the
framework does not indicate its exclusion either. The Business activities proposed help the NBC
meet the Strategic Intent’s expectation for the centre by contributing to the long-term growth and
employment for the Shire in a setting consistent with surrounding businesses and by the Framework.

The Strategic Outcomes seek that the NBC provides a defined role without duplication and has its
own character in terms of scale and function, as well as complementing the uses at Noosa Junction.
The Outcomes also indicate there should be limited increase to retail floor space at the centre and
recognises the role of Maroochydore for higher order goods.

Although some areas of the retail sector have reduced in their retail dominance with the introduction
of online retailing, many retailers have adjusted to the change and the shopfronts continue to play
an important role in customer satisfaction and sales. In this regard, the retail sector still provides
important employment opportunities without the decline that was mused in the past. It is also
essential to retain and create local employment opportunities rather than workers needing to migrate
to a regional activity centre for employment. The proposal will provide employment opportunities not
only in retail but has the potential in knowledge based and research and development in office form.

The Strategic Outcomes specifically acknowledges the importance the NBC plays in offering higher
order goods. The proposal is minor in terms of its floor space (2,675m²) across the region and offers
Noosa residents and visitors to the Shire the opportunity for higher order goods which is being minor
in nature and is unlikely to impact on Maroochydore hierarchy.

In terms of total commercial scale (not only showrooms) at the NBC, the proposal increases potential
retail floor space by around 6%, which is considered a minor increase. Given the demonstrated and
significant deficiency of Showroom floor space in the NBC catchment (see section 5.2 of this report),
the proposal satisfies some of that need while not negatively impact on the goods offered by the
regional activity centre at Maroochydore.




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