Attachment 2 - Economic Needs Assessment

         Need Assessment
There are three key dimensions of need, namely:
   +   Economic need;
   +   Community need; and
   +   Planning need.


9.1 Economic Need
Economic need is a function of market demand and the provision of supply, and whether or not
there is a latent unmet demand now or in the immediate to short term. Results from the preceding
analysis indicate there an unmet and growing demand for car wash facilities within the PTA and STA.
At a broader LGA level, our review indicates that there is significant need for additional car washing
facilities within Noosa LGA, with an existing and growing shortfall in provision throughout the
projection horizon.
Based on the findings in Section 4 and 6 of the report, there is need for 1.4 car wash facilities within
the combined trade areas, growing to 1.6 car wash facilities in 2031. Moreover, there is broader
need for commercial car wash facilities within the wider region (i.e. Noosa LGA).
The above demonstrates that there a latent unmet demand for commercial car wash facilities within
the identified trade areas and Noosa LGA more broadly, indicating that the proposed development
would not have unreasonable impacts on existing facilities.

9.2 Community Need
Community need considers such issues as choice, convenience and competition. In terms of
greater choice, convenience and competition, the proposed development would significantly
improve the convenience of residents within the trade area, reducing the need to travel further
afield to have their demand for car wash facilities met (i.e. east of the PTA and STA to the coastal
areas of Noosa LGA). In terms of the spatial distribution of population in the trade areas, the
proposed development represents a central location for the commercial car wash facility. There
are currently no dedicated facilities within Noosa Hinterland. Moreover, the proposed development
will likely capture a significant proportion of visitors to caravan parks, campsites and holiday/tourist
parks that are proximate to the subject site who require a dedicated car wash facility after their trip,
thereby enhancing the convenience of visitors to the region.
The specific location of the subject site between two service station further enhances the level of
convenience offered by the proposed development. The immediate locality is one where motorists
come regularly to refuel their car, the co-location of the car wash represents an immediately
accessible opportunity for those motorists also seeking to wash their cars in a convenient and
environmentally efficient manner.
There is a broader community need associated with the environmental sustainability of commercial
car washes relative to at-home of DIY car washing. A commercial car wash collects detergents and
contaminants so that they do not enter surface or ground water. Given the environmental sensitive
nature of the Noosa biome and the proximity of Cooroy to drinking water storages, there is a
community benefit in preventing chemical runoff into stormwater.




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