12:00a.m. 6th September 2008

| By Bill Hoffman

An impression of how the new government offices building will transform Maroochydore's First Avenue. Photo: contributed/178101

A 10-storey office tower to be built in Maroochydore could prove a litmus test for the state government’s commitment to follow council’s rules on car parking, developer contributions, energy efficiency and design.

The project, on the site of what was Scotlyn Fair in First Avenue opposite the Maroochy RSL, has been declared a designated site removing the need for any application to council, payment of $2.5 - $3 million in contributions and public consultation.

While the council has welcomed the project to house departments in Maroochydore, councillors have called on the government to play by the same rules as other developers.

Public works and housing minister Robert Schwarten said the state would work with council to meet planning requirements, but described the council’s demands for car parking as excessive while he could not commit to paying normal developer contributions.

“Council has demanded 480 car parks, which would require a seven-storey car park,’’ Mr Schwarten said.

“The State Government believes this is excessive. We are however negotiating with the council and we intend to fully comply with local planning requirements.’’

Preliminary plans indicate the project not only avoids costs that would consequently have to be born by ratepayers, but fails to meet even minimum standards for car parking provision, access, design and streetscaping.

Unless the state agrees to do the work, ratepayers would be loaded with the cost of any upgrades to roads, traffic lighting, footpaths and open space provision associated with the project.

The government has previously come under fire for failing to provide adequate car parking in the nearby Maroochydore Courthouse precinct.

Strategy and planning chair Vivien Griffin said while she understood the need for the extraordinary powers the government had given itself under the Integrated Planning Act to ensure the provision of hospitals and schools, they should not be used to evade planning requirements for office buildings in the CBD.

Mr Schwarten said the Department of Public Works was liaising with the Sunshine Coast Council on headworks charges and developer contributions. He said he would consider a request for any meeting to discuss best practice outcomes for the site.

The building has allowance for only 180 car parking spaces at one per every 55 square metres compared with the Maroochy Plan 2000 requirement of one space per 20 sq ms of office space.

Car parking is even less than the one per 36-sq m concession afforded an earlier application for the site by a private developer, given because the building was to be wholly leased by government departments.

That decision had also been driven by the old Maroochy council’s belief that the CAMCOS public transport corridor would be funded in the short-term.

Regional strategy and planning director Julie Edwards said it was now doubtful that funding for the transport project would even be available to deliver outcomes by 2026.

She said the government precinct of the CBD already suffered from a lack of car parking because of the failure of government buildings like the magistrates’ court and the police station to have car parking provision of their own.

Ms Edwards said the state government had promised to deliver a five-star energy efficient building but it was very bulky and arguably not visually attractive.

“We want a quality building that will set the temperature for everything that follows.”

Access to the building’s rear would require an easement through council-owned land with the issue of compensation looming as a major issue.

Informal discussions with state government indicated the building may be brought down in height by five to eight metres to comply with the 40-metre height limit for the precinct.

Councillors expressed concern about the need to build a better partnership with the government.

Councillor Anna Grosskreutz said from what was known of plans for the building the structure would mess around with values council was attempting to establish for the CBD.

CEO John Knaggs will be asked to organise a meeting with the the government to discuss best practice outcomes for the site.