2014-04-28 General Committee Meeting Agenda Pages 65-200

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                   28 APRIL 2014


RECOMMENDATION

That Council note the report by Coordinator Property and Land Management to the General
Committee Meeting dated 28 April 2014 and:-

    A. repeal the Commercial Use of Community Land Policy that transferred to the Noosa
       Council from the Sunshine Coast Regional Council under the Local Government (De-
       amalgamation Implementation) Regulation

    B. approve the Commercial Use of Community Land Policy as attached to the report by
       Coordinator Property and Land Management to the General Committee Meeting dated
       28 April 2014.



REPORT
Previous Noosa Council
    The previous Noosa Council offered three year permits for commercial use activities on
     community land. The last tender process conducted by Noosa Council took place in June
     2006 with permits offered for a three year period with applicants submitting a tender
     response for the activity along with a tendered amount to conduct the activity.

    The previous Noosa Council did not approve ad hoc applications outside of an assessment
     period due to proposed businesses competing with existing permit holders and existing
     commercial businesses leasing premises at commercial rates.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council
    Post amalgamation, SCRC also endorsed a process in which applicants submitted a tender
     response along with an offer to conduct the activity.
    SCRC reviewed this approach and endorsed the Community Land and Complementary
     Commercial Strategic Policy on the 27 April 2011.
    The policy made provision for high use/high impact applications and low use/low impact
     applications.
    High use / high impact applications were related to activities on beaches, waterways,
     popular high use parks and locations which had a more significant impact on the
     community.
    The high use / high impact fee structure was set at $95 per square metre. For example:
     Beach Hire Main Beach, 42 square metres - $3,990 per annum. Learn to Surf Main Beach
     1, 39.5 square metres - $3,752 per annum. Under the 2006 Noosa Council tender process,
     Beach Hire Main Beach submitted an offer of $1,000 per year to conduct permit activities,
     while Learn to Surf Main Beach 1 submitted an offer of $16,000 per year to conduct permit
     activities.
    There were exceptions to the high use / high impact permit category. For example there is
     an iconic lifetime permit for mobile refreshments on Noosa Main Beach and an ice cream
     van which has a 10 year permit expiring September 2020. These exceptions acknowledge
     the long term business use of the area and contribution by both businesses.
The unique characteristics of Noosa Shire and its main beach provide opportunities to create
profitable, niche, lifestyle businesses depending on the type of business and appeal to patrons.
In comparison to the leasing of commercial premises, overheads are generally lower; however
annual profitability can be variable depending on the specific activity undertaken and the vagaries
of the weather.

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