Ellen Guan

31:32 Councillor Wegener: And our third deputation is for Ellen Guan to take up. Do you mind being on camera?

31:42 Speaker 3: It's fine. Fine with the camera.

31:44 Councillor Wegener: And do you have a powerpoint? No, I don't have a powerpoint.

31:49 Speaker 3: We have an architect who will have a powerpoint to do the presentation after me.

31:57 Speaker 12: Okay. So there's a powerpoint. Yeah.

32:01 Councillor Wegener: Do you have the powerpoint here? I should have that. Okay. I just want to make sure that it's all... We'll cover it before we get... The initial introduction is . Yeah.

32:11 Speaker 3: Yeah. Thank you.

32:12 Councillor Wegener: Okay. Take... Please begin.

32:15 Speaker 3: Yeah. The hotel industry is highly competitive. To efficiently manage various operational functions while maintaining high standards consistently can be complex and challenging. It requires significant upfront investment and may take years to recover the initial investment before generating any profit. People might question, why do you want to do this? And how can you make this hotel stand out? What is the unique position of this proposed hotel? Our intention is simple. We aim to create the best version of Noosa Springs. We have been operating this place for almost 10 years. We would like to explore its full potential as a complete resort destination. An exceptional platform that can uplift and inspire as many people as possible. This intention serves as our motivation and brings us a profound sense of fulfillment. Currently, I would say the key words that define our vision of Noosa Springs are community and wellness.

33:31 The hotel will be a community-based and local business. It goes beyond traditional hotels by actively involving and engaging the local community in its operations and developments. We will leverage the skills and passion of the existing Noosa Springs team, providing them with career opportunities to advance under the guidance of an international five-star hotel operator. Currently, we have 125 employees working for Noosa Springs, with most of the full-time staff have been with us for a number of years. Considering the local HR market and accommodation costs for staff in the hospitality industry, it is truly a blessing for us to have such a stable and experienced local team to support this proposed project. Our staff is enthusiastic about this opportunity, and of course the proposed hotel will create more jobs as the team expands, making it one of the largest local employers. We would like to offer activities and experiences that showcase the community's culture, cuisine, arts and crafts, encouraging guests to immerse themselves in the local way of life.

34:53 We would like to collaborate with local business owners, artists and service providers, contributing to the overall development and well-being of the community. We would like to minimize the ecological footprint by using renewable energy sources, implementing an advanced waste management system, etc. Sustainability is one of our focus in the design and future operation. We are also inspired by a sense of community that evolves from consistently considering the benefits of social interaction. The hotel serves as a social hub. It is a setting for connections, while we actively cultivate connections between local communities and a group of guests. We would like to foster cross-cultural understanding and create a mutually beneficial relationship between travellers and the community. In terms of wellness, it stands as one of our core values. Noosa Springs Spa Facility itself is a destination, offering a remarkable experience. Leveraging the existing health and fitness facilities together with the natural setting of Noosa Springs provides an ideal foundation for this concept.

36:13 The integration of the hotel and other enhancements allows us to introduce a range of programs. That includes meditation, wellness retreat and packages, dynamic healthy dining options, and sleep-enhancing technologies, etc. We deeply appreciate and understand the reasons behind Noosa Council's efforts to safeguard the region's reputation, particularly with regards to preserving its distinctive atmosphere, enhancing the town's aesthetics, and being sympathetic to the environment. That's also why we are so keen to be part of it. It provides an invaluable foundation for a resort destination, we believe. Our goal is to contribute positively to Noosa's reputation as a leader in design and development within this community. I would also like to take this opportunity to respond to the deputation from Unit Water and the other submitters. The wastewater treatment plant completed in 1997 made a substantial difference to odour control, and the buffer zone was not required in the subsequent planning instruments.

37:28 In early 2018, our early design of the hotel project shows part of the building located within the 2.5 odour contour. We had discussions and meetings with Unit Water representatives at that time. Unit Water advised us that if the buildings were completed, especially outside the 2.5 odour contour, it would be okay. Then we made a substantial redesign which placed all the buildings outside the 2.5 odour contour, which complies with the appropriate guidelines, and it was assumed satisfied Unit Water concern. Noosa Springs has been operating for almost 25 years, and odour has never been an issue. We have never received any complaint from members or visitors. Unit Water also informs that it has never received any complaints from this area in the past. The Oasis residential precinct at Noosa Springs is just outside the 2.5 odour contour, and Park Ridge is not much further away. The hotel will therefore not worsen the risk to Unit Water, and those other areas being a sensitive receptor of residential use would be much more of a concern than the proposed hotel. Although the hotel is regarded as a sensitive receptor, the nature of hotel guests occupying the room for a short time is very different from residential use.

38:53 GH and Council both have used leading specialist consultants in this particular field, and they both support the development subject to conditions that GH will support. In summary, the proposed hotel development will not put Unit Water in a worse position. The possibility of a perceived incident in the future is extremely low to our opinion. Should that occur, it has a grade for a management plan to be prepared and used in a 24-7 hotel operation. Some also claim that the hotel would add traffic onto Noosa Springs Road if a bushfire is approaching. Our bushfire consultant has prepared an emergency response plan that requires guests to remain on site and meet at an assembly point. It will be an important role of the hotel manager to coordinate that plan, and by doing so, the hotel guests will not use the external road. The first pre-lodging meeting we had with Council was in 2016. It has been a very long journey for us. Over the past seven years, we have developed numerous versions of the hotel design through extensive research and planning conducted by specialist consultants and our team.

40:15 We respect and value the contribution made by submitters in the design application process. We have made many changes to the hotel design in response to issues raised by submitters. We have confidence in the current design scheme in terms of viability, efficiency and sustainability. Should we have the opportunity to proceed to the next phase, we warmly welcome input from the community to move forward together and collaborate to deliver the best possible design outcome. We sincerely hope to be granted the opportunity to transform our vision of Noosa Springs into reality. Our team is committed to delivering exceptional guest experience, striving to thrive in this industry. We are confident that we can make a positive and sustainable contribution to this community. Thank you.

41:11 Juergen Weigel: Could you please start the presentation? Thank you.

41:20 My name is Juergen Weigel. I'm Associate Director at Marchesi Partners, the architects for the proposed hotel. Marchesi Partners are located in Brisbane, but we are an international partner. We have international operations and we have eight offices worldwide. Could you please go to the next slide? We have substantial experience in the hotel sector. Over the last few years, we have delivered about 20 hotel projects. I personally have delivered five hotel and short-term accommodation projects and currently designing one in Townsville and one on the Gold Coast. I also lived for four years on the Sunshine Coast. I believe that I understand the Sunshine Coast very well. Next slide, please. The original designer for the proposed hotel is Shane Thompson. He's known for elements of Byron and Byron Bay, a hotel which was successfully integrated into a natural setting and is very well perceived by the locals and the public. Overall, it was our intention to design a high-quality five-star hotel with limited off-site impact. In achieving a high level of sustainability.

42:35 I would like to point out that this is the first significant five-star hotel developed in Noosa since 1989. Here on the master plan, you can see how the hotel tries to limit the impact on the existing site. All buildings stay away from the Corolla Habitat Zone, but also we stay truly behind on the auto setback line. To limit the concealed areas on site, we place the tennis courts above the existing car park and also the additional car parks above existing car parks. So just for building another level there. Next one, please. We use landscaping to limit the impact of the buildings to the surroundings, but we also have broken up the hotel in smaller pavilions, which gently step up the existing slope and follow the topography. Next one, please. So here you can see the diagrams left hand side showing the different zonings.

43:43 And on the right hand side, the associated height limitations. The yellow shows the eight meter height limitation and the red one is 12 meters. So you can see that the majority of the building stays under the height limit, while a few roof edges might project over. Next one, please. However, the main intent behind what we have been doing was to limit the impact from the outside. So this is a view from Resort Drive. And from Resort Drive, the building would appear as a one to two story structure. Next one, please. And the view from the golf course. It actually demonstrates that most of the building, the new building, will stay below the actual tree line. While on the right hand side, I would like to point out how Park Ridge and the development actually towers above everything. We have introduced and incorporated a number of sustainability design features like water harvesting, considering the size of the pool we have, and also to limit the impact on the public water supply. We think this is an important part of it. But we also have maximized the solar protection, external views and daylight, which is apparent how the rooms have been designed and laid out.

45:07 The rotation of the rooms, but also the lobby. We have solar panels integrated and we promote mixed mood ventilation, which actually then results in reduced energy usage and alternative transport, which will reduce the number of individual cars going in and out to the hotel. Next one, please. So the design is inspired by a Tuscan village. So as you see on the image here, typically they are located on a hill and the buildings gently step up to the hill. But we also were really interested in the materiality. Terracotta, stone, the landscaping in between. And we think that is something you clearly can see here in Noosaville Springs as an existing design philosophy. Next one. The pool is the center of our hotel. And so we are a fair bit away from the beach, so we have to create our own amenity on the side. So this is truly the feature. The pool is about 1,265 square meters. 20% of it is just water feature. This 300 deep water. The rest is about 1.5 meters deep.

46:24 So the volume of water there would be about 1,550 cubic meters. And a pool this size and impact would be expected for a five-star hotel. Next one, please. So hotel guests will arrive on the Port Cochere and then walk. 30 seconds.

46:50 Speaker 13: I'd just quickly like to say in the last few minutes, I think that the council has been the town planner for the application. The council just needs to be very conscious of, obviously, Smith is very concerned about the issues raised. A lot of the issues that have been raised, however, are not substantiated by any technical reports. The technical reports that have been considered by both the applicant's consultant and the council's consultant, there's agreement with all those reports in terms of the off-site impacts. So I think it's really important that council understands that while I understand Smith's concerns, and also your new order's concerns, those technical reports have been assessed, and the consultants on both sides are in agreement. Thank you. Thank you very much.

47:33 Councillor Wegener: Okay, we'd like to thank our deputations for coming here today, and everybody in the gallery.

47:41 Councillor Lorentson: We will be...

47:43 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: You can do the countdown and then just... No, if we're just referring, we can't do it. Just refer to the next meeting.

47:53 Councillor Wegener: Oh! I'd have to come in for that? To refer? Yeah, we will.

47:58 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: She can't be in.

48:00 Councillor Jurisevic: The declarations made, Brian, were with regard to submissions. I'll have to do them again for the...

48:04 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Yeah, but now, under the Act, if all you're doing is referring, you don't need to make a declaration.

48:09 Councillor Wegener: Yeah.

48:12 Deputy Mayor Stockwell: Which is probably easier to do with her outside the room. Yes. Okay.