Car parks versus transit centre

The Noosa Junction Transit Centre construction gets underway.

Geoff Potterna

Somewhere amid the transit centre construction site, Lanyana Way and Noosa J, the truth about the Junction’s carparking is out there.

But who to believe?

The Sunshine Coast council claims – as espoused by Councillor Russell Green – that only 36 fewer parks will be in play in the final outcome?

Or a vocal band of residents and shoppers who claim this is a contrived “thimble and pea” figure used to disguise a far bigger loss of public parking?

The Noosa News was contacted by a Junction local of more than 20 years who said he had counted every parking space and tallied them up with past parking provisions.

“The construction of the transit centre has resulted in the loss of 20% to 25% of the total off street public parking in the Junction,” said the man who did not wish to be named.

“The public parking at Bottlebrush Avenue (232 bays) and the area between Coles and the Noosa Heads Bowls Club (127 bays) is now under threat.”

This last remark hinges on the council’s willingness to look at all options for funding the Noosa Junction placemaking process with possible residential development in public land at Bottlebrush Avenue.

It also refers to the prime bowls club site, which has been subject to developer speculation for many years.

His written submission to the Noosa News started like this: “A substantial expansion of the Cooyar Street parking station, adding 220 carparks was undertaken by the then Noosa Council in 2002 with funding via developer contributions.

“These had been previously collected by Noosa Council and the Noosa Junction car park levy paid by the Junction owners and traders.”

He claimed the carpark levy contributors were told by Noosa Council they would be specifically for the 220 bay expansion, bringing available parks at Cooyar Street to about 280.

“Much was made at the time that the Local Government Act provided strict requirements as to how councils can use funds collected under such a levy.

“Despite repeated early assurances that there would be no overall loss of parking at the Junction with the construction of the transit centre, most of the additional 220 parking bays have been taken back by council for the site of the Translink transit centre.

“Council’s place design manager stated at the Noosa Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting in 09 (NN 29/5/09) council would not compensate for any loss.”

He claimed the 60 parking bays provided at Noosa J with the additional 14 to 18 bays at the Lanyana Way Professional Centre/Wyandra Street parking site were token gestures by council to public parking needs.

His tally of the bays lost to the transit centre was 180-200.

Cr Green said at project completion, the result would be a loss of 36 Junction carparks.