Main Beach Reserve Car Park – Review Of Main Beach Drop-off Zone Resolution

Brian Stockwell67:22

Thank you. I'll put it to the vote. Those in favour is Councillor Wilson, Councillor Lorentson and Councillor Phillips. I'm lying. Yes. Councillor Wilkie. Yes. And Councillor Finzel and Councillor Wegener and those against is Councillor Stockwell. Okay, the motion is carried. We then move on. To the second notified motion which is once again from Councillor Lorentson and it's regarding the Main Beach reserve car park review of Main Beach drop-off zone resolution. Thank you very much and you go to the floor.

Amelia Lorentson229:37

I do, and I just want to just correct a few things that have been discussed around the table. Firstly, I did seek, ask the question, what is the correct process? In July, 7th of July, 2026, Council, in its report, endorsed the Go Noosa report. And C was that the temporary repurpose of the car park within the Main Beach reserve adjacent to the Noosa Heads Surf Club is a Main Beach drop-off zone during the peak Christmas and new year period to improve safety, traffic and functionality within that precinct. That was actually endorsed by Council in July, 2026. My question was given uncertainties about what's happening with the overflow process, can we review the decision, which was for full drop off area, or is there opportunity to talk to the traders in case they wanted to revisit it as a mixed use precinct, or whether they wanted to delay the commencement? I understood at the time that the only way I could do that, given it was a ratified decision of Council, was through a notice of motion. This was not my decision. It was what I believe is the correct process. So I want to throw that on the table. Secondly, there has been, and I've got notes all over the place, so excuse me.

Amelia Lorentson67:49

Again, I'll take it as read. I don't think this is controversial. I think this is really just a common sense notice of motion. When we made our decision in July with the go for Noosa. Oh, excuse me. I'll move that Council A review its July 2026 resolution regarding the operation of the Main Beach drop-off zone during the peak Christmas and new year period in light of the information contained in the property advisor's report to the General Committee of 11 August 2026. Relating to Lions Park overflow parking. Consult with key stakeholders including the Hastings Street Association and request the CEO report back to Council in the next round of meetings with recommendations. Do we have a seconder? Thank I'll second. Ansel Wilson? Ansel Lorentson, do you speak to your motion? So when Council made its decision in July in terms of a Go Noosa Program it did so with the expectation or the potential that overflow car parking would be available at Lions Park. We know now that there's still uncertainty around that arrangement. If those overflow parking spaces at Lions Park are not available then the circumstances that informed the original decision have changed. Parking is vital during the Christmas and new year period. It supports local businesses, employees, residents and visitors. At the busiest time of year every parking space counts. Motion in front of us is not asking Council to abandon the drop-off zone. The motion's just asking to review the decision in light of the new information and consider whether adjustments such as a mixed-use or hybrid approach or even a revised commencement date may provide a better balance. And I think just given the. Uncertainty before us and given that the original decision was made based on different information, I believe we have a responsibility to review it. And that's all this motion's seeking to do and I respectfully ask that we support it.

Frank Wilkie223:49

Just a question. The resolution, the motion to review the July 2026 resolution. If passed. Today, is that to review this in practice of the Main Beach drop-off zone immediately or after it's taken place at Christmas?

Brian Stockwell227:10

Does anyone else want to talk to the motion. My view is, suing for those reports we have seen on the Go Noosa Program, that the drop-off zone over the last few years has been effective to achieve the two main objectives. That was to reduce the congestion from queuing and to increase the safety of users in that location where we had previously a significant conflict between vehicles seeking parks, queuing for parks, and people wanting to go to the beach and people wanting to go to the toilet. I think the use of it during peak times makes a lot of sense. And I. Think, as I've argued in previous motions, I think reducing congestion is a priority objective which we should be focused on to ensure that the experience of going to Main Beach or Hastings Street is one that is safe and experience that is not creating stress so I support the motion of July 2026 and don't see any need to review it.

Nicola Wilson108:33

I can't believe that we're doing this again we're spending so much time on something that should be quite simple I don't know why we're singling out one car park in the absence of a parking management plan for the whole Shire. Times may have changed in 20 years but they haven't changed much since 2020 when the Go Noosa initiatives began. In 2021-22 we had the free buses we were paying payments to TransLink of $248,000 for those buses and the total Go Noosa Program cost us $588,000 so a net without the free buses of the free buses of $340,000. In recent years because got $0.50 fares, we're no longer funding the local buses only the loop bus service yet cost to operate the Go Noosa Program have increased to over $940,000 for this financial year with peak period management free bus and-off zone costing $477,000 in 2025-26 and rising to $567,000 in this financial year yet we're complaining about $30,000 for a land management plan the Go Noosa initiatives working we still have congestion we still have demand for parking we still have underutilization of park and ride facilities but only two percent of survey respondents saying they used it don't have much data on cars coming in or who's using the buses we can only really monitor the loop bus which has increased 25 percent since 2021 we can we measure that there are more people coming in but we don't know if they would ordinarily have come by car another bus route or whether there's just an overall increase in people it could just be attracting young people who don't have a car there have been issues with using the AFL grounds for the park and ride since 2020 that hasn't changed the occupancy of the 400 spaces under 10 utilised on the 3rd of January and feedback has been that it's impractical for those carrying bulky beach equipment and it still takes a long time to get to the beach don't have a parking management plan although this has been reported under the operational plan for a number of years with varying results of being on track, disrupted, and now it's in this year's operational plan to finalise Noosa parking. Management plan to guide our approach to parking throughout the show so why don't we wait for that but why are we still waiting for it and I know there's been staffing shortages that have contributed to that. In May 2023 Council made a commitment to community consultation on Lions Park. A motion was amended to keep this separate from the DMP but this consultation never happened. The DMP was then also supposed to be used to determine whether parking would occur at Lions Park for Easter 2026 but that specific question was never asked. The one question mentioning Lions Park was asked obliquely in the long form DMP survey but only the 900 people who were interested in the DMP and had the time and inclination to respond to a long survey got a voice. There would be many people interested in the future of Lions Park who didn't get to participate in that one of many questions. The local paper did a more specific poll potentially reaching a different audience and got a different result. We have an obligation to act in the public interest and give everyone a voice. The survey results tell us nothing except that there are mixed opinions in the community. The business community has said losing this park this parking over Christmas will impact their income at this peak period. In the absence of any economic analysis by Council, to the contrary, I believe them. We using the comms team is busy as an excuse not to engage with the community or proceed with basic tasks. I note also that Councillors have not seen or approved a forward engagement calendar for comms for over two years. There's no clear data on the number of cars visiting Noosa Main Beach area. We can and should install counters at intersections and in car parks. We don't know if we're getting more or fewer cars in as a result of the Go Noosa initiatives. We don't regularly measure congestion. The Easter period was presented as an opportunity to compare traffic and congestion with and without lines parked being used for parking. We did that but the two periods were not comparable, one being the end of March while school holidays started 3rd of April. We can't compare congestion in peak and off-peak periods when making decisions around parking we have a saying here that we need to finish what we've started so please let's stop making this political and ask the CEO to finish the completion of the outstanding operational tasks that have been in previous Council resolutions. The parking management plan, traffic modelling, impact studies, community consultation, measuring congestion, and preparing a land management plan that should have been in place two years ago this will give us the information to make strategic decisions that are based on fact and not on personal experience.

Brian Stockwell220:17

Okay welcome back and we will continue with dealing with the recommendations of the General Committee and we're up to item 11.1.4 which is the planning application decided by delegated authority June 2026.11.1.5 is the operational plan 25/26 for quarter four quarterly reporting and we move then to the 11.1.6 is the terms of reference for the Noosa Waters residents advisory group. 11.1.7 update construction charges resolution. 11.1.8 review of the Community Purpose Land and Infrastructure Tenure Policy. 11.1.9 plan the environment court of peel 1576 of 2026 short-stay letting local law review decision. 8 with a circuit nursery heads. 11.1.10 Planning & Environment Court of peel 1763 local good to say, letting law review decision 5 side. With a circuit nursery heads. 11.1.11 MCU 17 0559.05 Planning & Environment Court of peel 1842 of 2026 for minor change to the development permit for two or change of use for a duplex at 216 Grant Street Noosa Heads 11.1.12 delegations any review Council to CEO 11.1.30 as that was the last one we did in 2012. This one is 11.1.30 is the General Committee recommendations en bloc. Do we have a mover for the resolutions Council Wegener moves and the second uh that was Councillor. Finzel I presume we don't need any discussion. All those in favour yes. Yes okay that's carried unanimously we're now going to circle back to the motion that was laying on the table which is. The notice of motion so if I check my records. You need to do a resolution to take it from the table. Well Councillor Phillips knows how to do that I'll move to the item um the matter item 10.2 be taken from the table the one seconder Council Wegener uh no discussion all those in favour yes okay yes and that's carried unanimously so we then go back and this was item in regard to the Main Beach reserve car parking.