Further concerns regarding prosed development - Phil Dauphin 28.02.2023

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Despite past commitments by Council to meet with and/or provide information regarding bushfires, bushfire
safety and evacuation to Noosa Springs residents since early 2020, no such activity has occurred. The Material
Change of Use (MCU) submission for the proposed hotel should act as a catalyst for such activity, so that the
current uncertainties about what would happen in a bushfire event is understood by those who are most
impacted by it, namely the concerned residents of the local community, and others as noted below.
A bushfire has the potential to impact:
•   Residents in over 700 properties within Noosa Springs and its neighbouring residential communities.
•   Tradesmen, contractors, and service providers to the residential communities.
•   Golf & Spa Resort users - golfers, gym and pool users, function attendees and associated staff.
•   Day visitors to the Resort café/restaurant and associated staff.
•   Day visitors to Parkridge café/restaurant and gym and associated staff.
•   Hotel guests, and visitors for functions (weddings etc.), and associated staff, as well as service providers
(laundry, maintenance, garden, refuse, deliveries etc).
The documents submitted to Council by the Applicant in support of the proposed hotel have brought the
bushfire subject into focus again, and have given rise to several risk-related issues, including:

• The presentation of the proposed hotel with no consideration of the impact of the hotel on the local
    communities. [1]
• The number of people potentially affected by a bushfire (residents, hotel guests & function attendees, Golf &
    Spa Resort users and visitors, Parkridge café & gym/pool visitors, all the supporting staff and service
    providers). [1, 2]
•   The significant increase in golf course patronage over the last few months, and potential growth in the
    future. [2]
•   The traffic and carparking assessments do not reflect the current patronage and traffic volumes. [2]
•   The unlikely premise that hotel visitors will not use their own or rented vehicles but will use buses, electric
    scooters and bicycles instead. [2]
•   The proposed procedure for emergency event notification given the lack of notification to residents by
    Emergency Services during the 2019 bushfires. [3]
•   The use of the Golf & Spa Resort to house evacuees from the hotel, Parkridge and The Fairways, whilst
    accommodating golfers and other Golf & Spa Resort users and visitors who are unable to evacuate from
    the area. [3]
•   The lack of clarity about the use of Links Drive, Noosa Springs Drive and Eenie Creek Road as evacuation
    routes for the eastern and western districts of Noosa Springs respectively. [4]
•   The lack of clarity regarding the use of the access to Eenie Creek Road from Noosa Springs Drive, and any
    traffic control measures necessary to enable that, as part of any evacuation. [4]
•   The number of vehicles potentially involved in an evacuation and the potential for serious congestion at
    the roundabouts on the evacuation routes. [4]
•   There is no consideration of the impact of a bushfire on the site during construction. [5]
•   There is an overall net reduction in the number of trees being replaced. [6]
•   There are inaccuracies and shortcomings in, and issues arising from some of the documents submitted by
    the Applicant. [7]
•   There is no evidence of QFES involvement in consultation or review of the Emergency Response Plan,
    which is in Draft form and is yet to be finalised and signed off by the Stakeholders.
•   The lack of communication about bushfires, bushfire management strategies, hazard reduction
    programmes, and emergency response by Council and Emergency Services with the communities
    potentially impacted by bushfires, despite the communities raising their concerns previously.

              NOTE: Numbers in [ ] above refer to the section numbers in the body of this document




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