2014-03-25 Infrastructure & Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  25 MARCH 2014


REPORT
In accordance with the Ordinary Meeting Minutes of 6 March 2014 regarding Tait Duke Cottage,
Council seeks a “determination on the suitability of the Earl Street site for the possible relocation
of the Cottage.” The previously identified land comprising 3 vacant lots at 14, 16 and 18 Earl
Street Tewantin (described as Lots 268 SP132627, 69RP41223 and 70RP412223 respectively)
is constrained due to its requirement for the proposed future Gibson Road Extension identified in
Council’s traffic & transport network planning documents.

The following information is provided in Attachment 1:

•     Extract page 29 from the “Coastal Area Traffic & Transport To 2016 dated August 2002”
      detailing the background on the proposed Gibson Road Extension;
•     A plan of the Gibson Road Extension extracted from “Cost Estimates for Future Road
      Infrastructure in the Coastal Area of Noosa Shire - March 2002”. Note the cost estimate of
      $2,400,968 is at a year 2000 base date and the cost today could be in the order of $5.5 to
      $6.5 million; and
•     A map highlighting the Ernest Street land in question.

In summary, the previous planning for the Gibson Road extension was not identified “on the
basis of network capacity or efficiency considerations” but rather as a proposed alternative to
“significant amenity and safety problems associated with Hilton Terrace between Eumundi Road
and Ernest Street”. The report further advises that “construction of the extension should be
deferred until all stages of Eenie Creek Road have been constructed and the network efficiency
issues can be re-assessed with the benefit of observed traffic data on this part of the network”.

Advice was provided on 28 February 2014 from Council’s primary traffic consultant, Colin Beard
of Beard Traffic Engineering Pty Ltd, being the author of the Coastal Area Traffic & Transport To
2016 report. He provided the following response and opinions:
•     Traffic capacity in the corridor – at present, there is a reasonably close match between
      the traffic capacity of Cooroy Noosa Road, Poinciana Avenue (west), Sidoni Street,
      Doonella Street, Memorial Avenue, Doonella Bridge and Hilton Terrace. Consequently,
      unless Council is considering upgrading all of this route, from Beckmans Road to Eumundi
      Road, there is little point in upgrading the traffic capacity of one part of it. Significantly
      increasing the traffic capacity of the whole Route from Cooroy Noosa Road at Beckmans
      Road to Eumundi Road would cost tens of millions of dollars and would have major
      amenity and social impacts. In my opinion, Council’s long-standing policy to constrain traffic
      growth in this corridor remains sound and sustainable. A change to this policy should not
      be seriously considered other than as part of a major transport and traffic planning study,
      and even then it is unlikely to be seen as a good idea; and
•     Traffic safety and amenity considerations in Hilton Terrace – this traffic route is
      relatively narrow, has relatively intense frontage activity and a number of intersections with
      less-than-ideal geometry. Consequently, safety for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists is a
      significant issue, as it has been for many years. However, it is likely that this route could be
      upgraded, without significantly increasing traffic capacity, for much less than the
      construction cost of the Gibson Road extension (plus the opportunity value of the land). In
      my opinion, a bypass of Hilton Terrace should only be considered if all upgrading options
      for Hilton Terrace, and there are options, have been exhausted and found wanting.
•     The broad traffic planning philosophy of CATT2016 was for Eenie Creek Road/Eumundi
      Road/Beckmans Road to accommodate east-west traffic growth, rather than seeing that
      traffic growth through Tewantin and along Hilton Terrace. Until that philosophy changes,
      there will be little need for the road corridor referenced based on traffic capacity
      considerations. In my opinion, nothing has happened in recent years to suggest that it
      should change.

                                                                                      Page 20 of 60