DUPLICATE PM Submission - Marigold Morgan - 1320008.176.05

Subject: FW: Concerns about the Calile Resort Development, Serenity Close Noosa Heads
From: Antoinette Becker
Date: 2023-08-17T01:12:21+00:00
To: Mailbox Council Mail

Submission

From: Frank Wilkie <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, 16 August 2023 5:31 PM
To: NC DR Development Assessment <[email protected]>
Subject: FW: Concerns about the Calile Resort Development, Serenity Close Noosa Heads

Please find attached a submission on the Serenity Close hotel application



From: goldie morgan <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Date: Wednesday, 16 August 2023 at 2:34 pm
To: Frank Wilkie <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
Subject: Concerns about the Calile Resort Development, Serenity Close Noosa Heads

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Good afternoon Cr Frank Wilkie,

I would appreciate if you could give your attention to my concerns about the proposed Calile Resort Development at Serenity Close, Noosa Heads. My main concerns regard the destruction of proven koala/wildlife habitat at the site and the impact on the surrounding residential area from increased traffic and pedestrian movements. The reports provided by the Calile consultants are misleading as the traffic analysis for Grant Street has been conducted in low tourist season which will provide inaccurate results. Furthermore, Katharina St, which is a main vehicle and pedestrian access route to the beach/Hastings St from the development site has been completely omitted from the traffic impact analysis.

Even the Ecological Assessment report conducted by Litoria Consulting for the Calile developer states that “the site is dominated by eucalypts including several large, well established trees” and “is known to provide suitable habitat for the koala”. Furthermore “the koala has been detected (93 sightings) within 3km of the site… therefore we consider the vegetation on site to provide potential habitat for the koala”. Noosa Council has itself recognised the koala habitat and have been undertaking bush regeneration procedures by planting tree species suitable for Koalas on the adjacent bush reserve to the development site. Locals have recently seen koalas and wallabies in the reserve very close to the development site.

Due to recent events at night/early morning in the local area, I am anxious and alarmed by the potential increase in safety issues this development could bring given the inadequate residential street lighting and the proposed restaurants/bars at the development site.
Despite the changing demographics and increased housing affordability and shortages issues, it is disturbing that Council would give consideration to another high impact commercial tourism development in a residential area. The long-term residents in the surrounding areas will bear the negative impacts of this development while the developers reap financial gain at the expense of locals. This development will be another example of Noosa being "loved to death" by tourists with its character, community and irreplaceable natural environment destroyed.

Please see below for a more detailed explanation of my concerns.



Increased Traffic Impact on Katharina Street caused by material change of use

The Traffic Engineering Report conducted by TTM is very misleading as Katharina St, Noosa Heads has been completely omitted from the analysis. Katharina St is a main thoroughfare for vehicles and pedestrians accessing the proposed resort. It is delusional to think the site will only be accessed via Grant St. It may be possible to restrict the Resort’s mini bus to Grant St but private vehicles, ride sharing cars, taxis etc will have no restrictions as to how they access the site. Katharina St is a narrow street with on street parking which renders it to one way street. This creates issues when accessing the proposed development site as access is limited especially during peak holiday times, on garbage collection days when bins and garbage trucks occupy the whole street. The limited access into the development site is a safety risk as access for emergency services is inadequate. Katharina St should be included in a new traffic analysis study before any approval for the material change of use is granted.



Lack of Pedestrian Access to the development site - no footpaths/insufficient infrastructure

Again, the traffic engineering report only mentions Banksia Avenue/Serenity Close in regards to footpaths. Banksia Ave in particular only has a short section of footpath and Grant St has limited footpaths with numerous missing links, especially on the northern side. The main thoroughfare and most direct (shortest) route for pedestrians to access the beach and Hastings St from the proposed resort is via Katharina St which has no footpath infrastructure which forces pedestrians onto the road. This is dangerous as it is a narrow road with bends making it difficult to see vehicles (often speeding).
Furthermore, with the increasing popularity of e-scooters (and Noosa Council’s endorsement of Beam e-scooters), the lack of footpaths in Katharina and Grant St create safety risks as e scooters are also forced onto the roads. It is reasonable to expect that e-scooters will be a main mode of transport for guests at the resort.

Katharina Street should have been included in the traffic engineering report as a priority and this is a major oversight for pedestrian safety. A new traffic analysis study should be conducted to include pedestrian safety and access in Katharina St before approval for the material change of use is granted.



Insufficient Residential Street Lights on all access routes into the development site

There is also insufficient street lighting at night on all of the pedestrian access routes (Katharina St, Grant St, Serenity Cl, Banksia Ave). This is a safety risk for pedestrians and residents as it will encourage and enable anti-social behavior caused by intoxicated guests of the proposed resort/restaurant. The anti-social behaviour already occurs on the dimly lit streets of the area particularly in peak tourist season and it will be amplified by the 200 room resort. The material change of use should be refused as the residential street lighting is insufficient for a commercial operation such as the proposed resort.





Insufficient infrastructure in the vicinity of the proposed development site - Unity Water Sewerage Plant

In addition to the insufficient transport infrastructure in the area of the proposed development site, there is also insufficient and ageing sewer/water infrastructure that is incapable of sustaining the size and capacity of the proposed development. Unity Water is constantly working in Banksia Ave as the sewerage treatment is constantly failing and overloaded due to new developments in the area. This is an environmental risk as pollution can easily run off to the adjacent creek and bushland. The local area is also overcome with noxious odours from the sewerage plant and its run off into the adjacent creek. Any approval of the material change of use will cause further to the local amenity and environment.



Devastating Ecological Impacts caused by the material change of use

Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES) – Wildlife Habitat – endangered or vulnerable wildlife

The majority of the site is identified as MSES Wildlife Habitat – endangered or vulnerable wildlife which is a spatial representation of habitat for 'endangered' or 'vulnerable' wildlife which are listed as 'threatened' wildlife defined under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA). Koalas which are an endangered species have recently been observed numerous times on the site and within close vicinity of the development site. This development will annihilate and fragment the habitat for endangered species and put them at greater risk of extinction. The material change of use should be refused due to the impact on the already declining wildlife habitat.

The site is also very close distance (7m) to MSES Regulated Vegetation (category B – endangered or of concern) which is identified as essential habitat for critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and near threatened species. Further reinforcing the detriment that this material change of use would have on the wildlife and broader connecting vegetation corridors and should therefore be refused.



Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES) Wildlife Habitat – koala habitat area - core

Further to the endangered vegetation concerns, the site and surrounding area is a hotspot for fauna. The majority of the site is identified as MSES Wildlife Habitat – Koala habitat – core. The MSES Core habitat refers to the best habitat for koalas, based on the combination of biophysical measures, suitable vegetation and koala occurrence records. Koalas which are an endangered species as well as wallabies have recently been observed numerous times on the site and within close vicinity of the development site. The site is also a haven for sugar gliders and birdlife such a glossy black cockatoos. The further destruction of their habitat due to this development will have long lasting detrimental impacts to numerous threatened species numbers.

This is evidenced by statements in the Ecological Assessment report conducted by Litoria Consulting that “the site is dominated by eucalypts including several large, well established trees” and “is known to provide suitable habitat for the koala”. Furthermore “the koala has been detected (93 sightings) within 3km of the site… therefore we consider the vegetation on site to provide potential habitat for the koala”. The material change of use should be refused due to the devasting impact it would have on the koala’s habitat and population. Noosa Council is renowned for its Noosa Biosphere credentials which will be compromised and undermined by the proposed material change of use.



Change in demographics of the area

The Noosa Plan 2020 was approved pre-covid which identified the area as tourist accommodation zone. However, since COVID the area has trended towards long term residents in medium residential accommodation. The material change of use to resort accommodation is not consistent with the demographics and changing nature of the area. It is now a quiet residential area, the increased traffic and movement of people caused by the material change of use will be detrimental to current livability and amenity for the current residents and ratepayers living in the surrounding streets.

Regards,
Marigold Morgan
27 Katharina St
Noosa Heads