2017-01-16 General Committee Agenda

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                     16 JANUARY 2017


7                        DISCOVERY GROUP REQUEST FOR A NEW PUBLIC/COMMERCIAL JETTY AT
                         ELANDA POINT EDUCATION AND ADVENTURE PARK
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                          Property Advisor, Denis Wallace
                                Corporate Services Department

Index                           ECM: Subject / 46.23 – Waterways; 63.03 – Waterway Management –Noosa
                                River; 63.04 – Waterways/Rivers/Lakes/Canals/Dams/Foreshore; 34.12 –
                                Commercial use of Noosa River and Waterways.

Attachments                     1.   Discovery Group Request
                                2.   Discovery Group Further Submission
                                3.   Locality Plans of Elanda Point Education and Adventure Park &
                                     Proposed Jetty


RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Property Advisor to the General Committee Meeting dated 16
January 2017 and refuse the Discovery Group’s request for Council to be the applicant for
construction of a new public/commercial jetty at the Elanda Point Education and Adventure Park.


REPORT
The Discovery Group operates two Everglade Tour vessels and also provides private and
commercial berthing opportunities from its commercial jetty and booking office at 186 Gympie
Terrace Noosaville. The Discovery Group has been at this location for 8 years and has a lease
with the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (DNRM) expiring in 2044. The Group’s two
vessels presently undertake up to 1,500 high speed vessel trips from its base to the Everglades
annually. Upon arrival in the Cooloola National Park customers enjoy a low speed eco-tourism
experience in the Everglade waters. The Discovery Group forecast the number of vessel trips will
increase by 8% per annum.

The Discovery Group has an agreement with the current lease holder of the Elanda Point
Education and Adventure Park (EPEAP) to purchase and transfer the existing lease with
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS). The EPEAP is located adjacent to Lake
Cootharaba, north of Boreen Point, and provides a popular camping and group accommodation
facility allowing visitors access to the Cooloola Recreation Area. Both the EPEAP site and
surrounding lands, including the lake foreshore lands are State controlled, being National Park.
Council has no land tenure in the area.

The Discovery Group met with Council representatives on 19 September 2016 and provided a
submission regarding their proposed redevelopment of EPEAP into a world class eco-tourism
facility (see Attachment 1). The Group has provided a Masterplan to the State Government,
included in a subsequent submission to Council (Attachment 2) and is now undertaking due
diligence prior to finalisation of any purchase and transfer.

Discovery Group Proposal

The Discovery Group submits that the construction of a jetty is critical to the success of the site
redevelopment and its tourism product and has requested Noosa Council be the public entity
applicant to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for the construction of a public jetty
extending up to 200 metres into Lake Cootharaba (see locality plans at Attachment 3).



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