2014-03-25 Infrastructure & Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                  25 MARCH 2014


•    In my opinion, there are intersection and mid-block improvements which could and should
     be considered along Hilton Terrace long before any serious consideration should be given
     to a new road in a parallel corridor.
•    Consequently, I see no need for the preservation of this corridor in the short term or the
     medium term future. Like all traffic engineers, I would find it difficult to say that there would
     never be a need for a bypass road (the best decisions are the ones which can be deferred
     until later when we should know more).

In summary, based on network capacity issues for the short to medium term of 20 years, unless
other the “trunk” roads in the Tewantin area are also upgraded, there would similarly be no need
to proceed with the Gibson Road Extension.

Council’s Transport Infrastructure Management and Priority Infrastructure Planning staff support
the view that the Ernest Street land proposed for the road extension will not be required in the
short to medium term. However, it cannot be said that the road corridor will never be required in
the long term say in 20 years or later.

Long term infrastructure planning requires ongoing detailed and comprehensive reviews and
studies to be undertaken on all aspects of the complete infrastructure network in order to take
account of variables and other changes that occur as time progresses. Forward planning and
making provisions to cater for future potential requirements is essential and it is envisaged that a
full and comprehensive transport network planning review will be undertaken within the next two
years in order to inform the next Planning Scheme. As road corridors are often difficult and
costly to acquire, it is inappropriate to completely discard any long term future potential for this
particular road corridor and associated Earl Street land at the current time.

Property and Land Management staff confirm there is no difficulty in allowing community use of
Council owned allotments under long term lease arrangements with options to extend being
subject to further reviews and special requirements. However, the use would require relevant
development planning approvals to be gained.

Therefore the interim use of the Council owned vacant allotments for community purposes for a
period of up to 20 years is supported, provided options to extend such uses on the subject land
beyond 20 years are dependent on further and ongoing transport planning reviews.

Should Council wish to consider alternative use of the road corridor, this would also have to
satisfy legislative requirements, preserve the long term future transport needs of the community
and require a separate report to Council.

Subject to Council’s decision, this should also be reflected in a future amendment to the Priority
Infrastructure Plan.

Previous Council Consideration
The former Noosa Council considered the potential future Gibson Road Extension during the
development of its Coastal Major Road Network Infrastructure Charges Plan from 1999 to its
adoption in 2004. The Sunshine Coast Council generally maintained these road transport
planning considerations in its adoption of the Priority Infrastructure Plan for The Noosa Plan in
2013.




                                                                                      Page 21 of 60