Noosa Civic Submission

The Noosa Civic expansion proposal fails to justify its conflict with the Noosa Planning Scheme and is
unable to prove an overriding need in the public interest for the following reasons:

   1. The Noosa Civics’ expansion would preclude the site from its intended and approved use, which was
      proposed to provide a diverse mix of enterprises operating from the area. Should the commercial
      precinct be exploited almost exclusively for retail purposes, as new and innovative businesses enter the
      market and require commercial space to establish, Council will then face the dilemma of having to look
      elsewhere in the Shire to accommodate information technology and research and development type
      enterprises. Such an eventuality would inevitably lead to further planning conflicts.

   2. Considering the Noosa regions established retail precincts presently in need of refurbishment or
      revitalisation (the Noosa Junction for instance), were Council to allow the Noosa Civic to exponentially
      expand, there would be on-going adverse impacts on these existing precincts.

       We note a number of businesses and their representative organisations in adjacent commercial precincts
       have voiced concerns with the impact of the Noosa Civic expansion. Such opposition suggests the
       Civic expansion does not represent an overall benefit to the Noosa community. On this basis we
       consider the Civic expansion proposal directly conflicts with the retail plans under the Noosa Planning
       Scheme Commercial and Retail uses 3.3.3 (b)

       “A hierarchy of centres with a range of Commercial and Retail business uses provide suitable levels of
       amenity, service and access to the community, consistent with the community’s location and needs and
       is based on (i) a proportion of Noosa’s higher order needs fulfilled by centres in other areas,
       particularly the key regional centre of Maroochydore; (ii) the Shire Business Centre, a Major Activity
       Centre for the purposes of the SEQ Regional Plan and the highest order centre within the former Noosa
       Shire, developed in stages consistent with the needs of the population of the former Noosa Shire and
       areas to the immediate south;(iii) protecting the long term viability of the Shire Business Centre as the
       principle business, retail and administrative centre;(iv) recognising that it may be necessary to increase
       floor space in existing centres to meet changing needs, provided any increased floor space does not
       impact on the successful operation and development of the Shire Business Centre;(v)business centres
       at Cooroy, Noosa Junction, Noosaville and Tewantin; (vi) neighbourhood or visitor centres at
       Peregian Beach, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach, Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Tewantin, Cooroibah and
       Teewah”

       As proven by the compelling objections to this proposal from established enterprises in adjacent
       commercial precincts, it is clear the attempt by the developer to expand the retail floor area would
       adversely “impact on the successful operation” of the other business centres.

   3. We note competing retail precincts to the Noosa Civic already suffer from relatively high vacancy rates.
      Aside from our request for Council to refuse this application on the basis of its planning conflicts, we
      believe Council must take further measures to re-invigorate the adjacent retail and commercial precincts
      to achieve a rich and diverse mix of services to the Noosa community and its significant number of
      visitors.

       Urban renewal must be a priority so Noosa is not left with second rate, run down and unviable
       commercial precincts.

   4. Even if the Noosa Civic expands its retail floor area as proposed, we contend it would remain
      uncompetitive with Maroochydore’s Sunshine Plaza retail precincts which are the established large
      scale shopping destination for the Sunshine Coast region. We note recent data on the viability of
      medium scale “malls” suggests they have a propensity to suffer from poor vacancy rates. An expanded
      Noosa Civic is likely to continue to have trouble with tenanting their retail component, as they have in

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