Attachment 7- Economic Impact Statement

                                                                                                                           47




                 Average attendances per screen fluctuates by location and according to the standard of
                 each facility and its competitive positioning. However, a typical threshold rate for most
                 new cinema facilities is in the order of 40,000 attendances per year per screen.

                 On this basis, the estimated underlying attendance demand from catchment residents
                 and visitors, assuming an appropriate array of well-maintained cinemas, is in the order of
                 11.3 screens in 2023, increasing to 12 screens in 2027 and 12.5 screens in 2035.

                 The only existing cinema within the Noosa catchment is Event Noosa, located at Noosa
                 Junction, which is a BCC Cinema complex with 5 standard screens. There is a cinema at
                 Pomona (The Majesty Theatre) but this is a single screen which fills a niche role, showing
                 silent movies and other cult classics.

                 With demand for 12 cinema screens by 2027, and only 5 present in the catchment, there
                 is a strong need argument for the proposed 6-screen facility to be constructed within the
                 VMU precinct.

                 The proposal anticipates a modern cinema with a mix of standard theatres and premium
                 screens with higher levels of amenity (eg in-theatre food/drink service, better leg-room,
                 etc). In addition to the cinema, the application also makes allowance for an associated
                 entertainment facility that could comprise bowling arcade/escape room or similar venue.
                 It is emphasised that the proposed use is entirely consistent with the provisions of the
                 planning scheme and therefore not subject to need assessment.
6.3 Indoor       The proposed VMU incorporates an indoor recreation facility that is likely to
recreation/gym   accommodate a gym. Given the floorspace allowance, this would be expected to attract
                 a large, branded operator such as Anytime, Snap, Plus, Goodlife or similar chain.
                 Provision rates for gyms, on a per capita basis, have historically increased over time, but
                 have been stimulated even further following COVID due to increased emphasis on
                 personal health and fitness.

                 On a national basis gym provision is estimated to be around one gym per 4,000
                 residents, but the average is higher in affluent areas and in markets where gyms are able
                 to attract visitation from tourists – this occurs in particular for branded operators where
                 members can use other facilities within the group. In a market such as Noosa, an
                 appropriate average provision rate is around one gym per 3,500 residents.

                 Given the expectation that people can access gyms readily from close to their home or
                 work, an appropriate catchment on which to investigate gym provision is a combination
                 of the Primary and Secondary East sectors. However, it is noted that gyms within this
                 region are likely to attract additional visitation from workers living further afield but
                 willing to access a gym before or after work.
                 Currently there are ten identified gyms operating within these catchment sectors, as
                 shown in Figure 15, including one 24/7 facility located in Noosa Civic.

                 With a combined residential population of 36,290 persons within the Primary and
                 Secondary East sectors, a provision rate of 3,500 persons per gym would generate
                 demand for 11 gyms, increasing to 12 by 2027 when the population reaches 37,815
                 persons.

                 Noosa Village Mixed Use Development – Economic Impact Statement for Development Application   Deep End Services