Noosa Springs and Parkridge homeowners are alarmed the way of life they and the wider community of Noosa have enjoyed for close on 30 years is under threat.
A revamped application for approval to build a luxury international hotel will be decided by Noosa Council next week which residents believe, if approved, will increase tourist and truck delivery traffic, pollution and ecological damage and will seriously impact on their lives.
In addition, they say the proposal is not limited to issues of local nuisance and discomfort. Local architect and resident, John Cochrane, one of the four objectors who spoke to Noosa Today said: “Everyone I speak to– friends, neighbours—have strong objections. There’s a definite feeling of unhappiness, in some cases anxiety, that our tranquil lifestyle will be no more.”
“The hotel will displace existing facilities including tennis coaching, school holiday camps, Pilates studio and physiotherapy services. Services which are also used by the broader local and regional communities.”
Opposition to the application has also come from Unitywater, the water and sewerage services provider for Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa, Executive Manager Strategic Engagement, Joshua Zugajev saying, “We support development that promotes sustainable and responsible economic growth but remain strongly opposed to this development.
“The amended plans will still see hotel guest facilities like swimming pools located only 150 meters from the Noosa Wastewater Treatment Plant boundary and 200 meters from its potentially odour generating processes.
“Environmental laws will leave Unitywater open to significant penalties if hotel guests complained about odour, and the solutions would cost tens of millions of dollars, with those costs ultimately being borne by our customers – the residents of Noosa.
“Council should not approve this development because it knowingly places new sensitive receptors close to existing wastewater treatment operations.”
It’s nigh on two years since Hong Kong developers Golden Horse Group, owners of Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort, asked Noosa council for approval to build a 106-room, five-star hotel next to the resort. At that time a petition of more than 450 residents made clear they didn’t want the hotel and at its meeting in July, 2023, council refused the application.
“Mr Cochrane said: The developer, through its Australian arm, GHAustralia has submitted revised plans which delete a full wing of the hotel and reduce the number of rooms from 106 to 69. The two-level swimming pool has also been substantially reduced in size.
“The amended plans still seek to use land reserved for community recreational benefit for commercial gain. While the plans reduce the number of rooms, they have the same impacts on the adjacent Parkridge residential precinct by locating the intensive traffic, waste handling, linen services and other noise generating activities directly opposite people homes.
“In fact, the waste produced by the hotel has trebled in the amended application.”
Mr Cochrane believes that the impacts due to waste management were vastly understated in the original application. “This has led to a situation where the planning assessment of the original scheme was based on fallacious information – yet the application was recommended for approval by council’s planning department. It is a good thing the council did not follow this advice.”
He noted that the revised application has now adopted valid waste generation guidelines which result in a trebling of garbage handling over that declared in the original application – all on seven-day per week collections.
He said: “Residents believe the revised application is really only a foot in the door with the potential for future applications seeking to expand the number of rooms, with little chance of council refusal.
“The developers have sited most of the building on open space recreation zoned land while leaving available large areas of ‘Tourist Accommodation’ zoned land untouched. It is clear that in future applications, this land could be used for many more rooms.
“The whole concept is inconsistent with the provisions of Noosa Plan 2020.”,
Resident Kim Petrovic challenged the relevance of information used to support the application. “Many consultant reports (odour, traffic, noise, parking, fire evacuation) relied upon by the applicant are outdated, with some dating back to 2016 and 2017.
“These reports fail to account for significant developments like Parkridge, together with Oasis and The Fairways Estates and Elysium which together represent over 50 per cent of the properties directly affected,” she said.
“We urge the council to mandate updated, independent reports that reflect current realities, including increased population, amplified events, and the council’s proposed rezoning of Parkridge Estate from tourist accommodation to high-density residential. Outdated data cannot support informed decision-making.”
Phil Dauphin said Parkridge would experience “first-hand the impact of traffic and servicing on residents. So, the Parkridge units along Resort Drive and Lakeview Rise, together with The Fairways, will get the noise of the delivery vehicles going up and down the service road plus the reversing beepers at the hotel loading dock.
“What, I think, is being overlooked is the impact of the additional traffic that will use Resort Drive to access the hotel/clubhouse site. There will certainly be additional traffic noise, most notably when vehicles leave and travel up the Resort Drive hill. Also, a need for more regular garbage pickup at the clubhouse, and more deliveries of food and drink etc so more noise from the road/hill and reversing beepers at the clubhouse loading dock.
“I also wonder how the service road can be restricted to just the vacuum excavator (for grease arrester cleaning) and the linen delivery vehicles and vehicles going to the southern carpark. It is only one lane wide so there is potential for vehicles having to reverse to avoid oncoming vehicles and the need to avoid facilities’ users, including children, walking up the same lane to access the gym and nearby pool!
“Given the service road passes high above the club swimming pool there needs to be an upgrade to the current pool fencing to ensure no vehicle leaves the service road and ends up in the pool area.”
Robert Brooks from Parkridge believes “noisy trucks will increase the danger to other vehicles as well as pedestrians in this narrow access street. Noise will also come from the loading dock as rubbish bins are dropped and picked up. On top of that there’s the noise from the hotel pool at all hours.
“This unnecessary impact will affect the amenity and quality of life whose units face or are close to Resort Drive. Why should long term residents suffer at the expense of short stay hotel guests.
Ms Kristy King, a regular patron of Noosa Springs Tennis Centre, said the now under threat centre had developed significantly in the last 20 years. “It is a very much appreciated facility that is enjoyed by Noosa Springs members, junior tennis players, mother’s groups, father’s groups and interstate tennis enthusiasts.
“Currently, there are 210 junior tennis players and 140 adult players who participate in the wonderful programs offered at this thriving sporting club on a weekly basis. Programs offered at Noosa Springs include private tennis lessons, hot shot squads, elite squads, adult sessions, female training groups, tennis camps and more.”
Miss King added: “There is also Bern Pilates and Physio affected by the proposal. A wonderful business that supports our community in so many ways. About 160 people attend each week. Over 48 weeks, this is 7,680 users per year with many of these people from the Noosa Springs environs, which has an ageing population.
“They will be affected by the proposed development. They attend these important sessions as a pathway to healthy ageing, helping with functional autonomy, life satisfaction, and sleep quality. Removing such important programs will have an adverse impact.”
