By Jolene Ogle
COUNCILLORS have voted down a proposed fuel station for Cooroy, arguing that it would create a poor first impression for the town and offer no benefit to the local community.
An application for a service station, convenience shop and food outlet on Taylor Court in Cooroy was presented to the General Committee on Monday 12 December with an officer’s report recommending that councillors refuse the application.
The application was for a service station, convenience store, fast food outlet, kids’ play area, 33 car parks, eight fuel bowsers and four underground storage tanks.
In the report presented to the Planning and Environment Committee meeting on 6 December, officers recommended the application be refused because the development is “not conveniently located or readily accessible” by the local community, will “adversely impact on the local villages and towns by reducing patronage to these centres” and the proposed illumination of the advertising does not adhere to the advertising codes.
The staff recommendation divided the councillors with Joe Jurisevic, Ingrid Jackson and Brian Stockwell making passionate pleas to allow the development.
Councillor Jurisevic said a service station close to the highway was essential because it would provide employment for locals people, help relieve driver fatigue by offering a rest stop, and deter motorists from using the Pomona truck stop as a toilet.
Councillor Stockwell agreed and said the service station would provide a wider community benefit and councillor Jackson said the development was “reasonable” and would allow for some architectural design unlike an industrial site, which is what the land is currently zoned for.
Mayor Tony Wellington strongly disagreed with his colleagues and said a “bog standard” service station should not be the entrance statement for the Cooroy township.
Councillor Wellington said the site is currently zoned as industrial and the planning scheme can only be overridden when a proposal showed significant community benefit.
“Otherwise, if you don’t have significant community benefit you are creating precedence that can be utilised in other applications because what you demonstrate is a willingness to ignore your own planning scheme.
“It’s really important we don’t send that message,” he said.
“In this case, is there significant community benefit to be able to justify overriding the planning scheme? I would argue there isn’t for the following reasons.
“Cooroy doesn’t need another petrol station and the addition of the fast food outlet isn’t a health benefit for the Cooroy community.”
Cr Wellington also argued the illuminated service station wouldn’t make the sort of entrance statement that Noosa deserves.
“Why would we be making an entrance statement into Noosa that looks like everywhere else? If people are heading north, if they come up the hill the first thing they’ll see is a bog standard service centre,” he said.
The officer’s staff recommendation went to a vote with Crs Wellington, Jess Glasgow, Frank Pardon and Frank Wilkie voting to support the staff recommendation and refuse the application.
This was the second service station development application for Cooroy to be refused by Noosa Council with councillors in 2015 rejecting an application for a service centre with a fast food outlet, public rest area and car wash in Myall Street.
