By Mitch Gaynor
AN APPEAL by Coles over a controversial development application in Beerwah is proceeding after the grocery giant amended its DA, making ‘minor changes’ to its original proposal.
But a decision on whether the development, which includes a homemaker centre, service station and McDonald’s, would be allowed, is still months away with the Planning and Environment Court setting hearings into January 2023.
Coles lodged three development applications (DAs) in 2019 to pave the way for an 11ha centre at the intersection of Steve Irwin Way and Roys Road.
The DAs were all rejected by the council and in August last year Coles appealed those decisions.
The council argued against the development on a number of points including that it was in significant conflict with the council’s vision for economic development regarding activity centres and industry and enterprise areas; and the proposal would create a new retail centre outside the existing Beerwah major regional activity centre and would fragment and undermine the CBD.
The council, Department of State Development and the owner of Beerwah Marketplace, Village Fair Investments, are respondents to the appeal.
In its attempt for a favourable ruling through the courts, Coles has now moved to make ‘minor changes’ to its development. Those changes include (but are not exhaustive):
Addition of landscaping to pedestrian and vehicle entry points;
Supermarket feature entry roof to be split into three canopies and larger structural elements exposed, to reinforce a modern country town aesthetic;
More extensive use of timber-look cladding;
Low height planters and trellises at entries… to soften the façade;
Smaller Coles logo incorporated into patterned façade design;
Replacement of Coles’ logo with finer grain indicative feature mural… to soften building form and create sense of place responsive to Beerwah’s character.
Relocation of the trolley store to under the south-east corner of the building;
Inclusion of 20kL rainwater tanks at front of supermarket entry;
Coles lawyers said these and other changes did not result in a substantially different development, but resulted in a better outcome.
In an affidavit filed earlier this year Coles argued the appeal should be allowed for various reasons including that it was to be built on an “underutilised parcel of land”; the service station and food and drink outlet would support development; there were no other high volume convenience restaurants with a drive-thru near Beerwah on Steve Irwin Way; and the site was well located to provide proposed uses which are regularly used by a high share of the population. “There is community, planning and economic need for the proposed development,” lawyers for Coles wrote in an affidavit.
It added: “The proposed development supports the regional service function of Beerwah.”
“In particular, from a traffic engineering perspective by spreading the load more evenly across the broader road network.
“The proposed development facilitates significant upgrading of the Steve Irwin Way/Roys Road intersection which would be required (at least in part) in the absence of the proposed development.”
“The proposed development would result in a substantial net community benefit, particularly given that it will: provide increased choice, convenience and competition; contribute to additional employment… bring economic and community benefits to Beerwah; and enhance the “sense of place” of Beerwah, by providing a recognisable and readily identified entry to the town from Steve Irwin Way.
“The proposed development would provide for the ‘essentials of life’ for the community, including daily food, household provisions and fuel.”
A number of affidavits were filed in regard to a change in the development application. Last year the council rejected the application based in part on expert advice that a third full-line supermarket would not be needed until 2025 to 2030.