Plans to construct a new supermarket in Cooroy have entered the public notification phase, with residents able to have their say on the application via Noosa Council.
Woolworths is planning to develop the full-line supermarket, along with retail and dining outlets and a 120-place residential aged care facility, on a 6.6-hectare site at the corner of Myall Street and Ferrells Road, opposite the Cooroy Golf Club.
The public notification opened on July 14 and will run until August 1, with formal submissions to be made directly to the council.
The development application was initially submitted to the council in May 2024 after two years of community consultation.
The commencement of public notification comes after town planners Project Urban, on behalf of Woolworths, last month supplied an information response over issues raised by the council in September last year.
“To address the issues raised by council, particularly the request for an amended plan relocating all development outside of the riparian buffer area, the proposed development layout has been amended,” the response states.
The revised layout includes placing the shopping centre closer to Ferrells Road and the residential care facility nearer the riparian buffer at the south of the site.
The primary site access has been shifted from Myall Street to Ferrells Road, with a new roundabout planned at the intersection.
The shopping centre’s gross floor area has been reduced from 5626sqm to 5434sqm, while the residential care facility’s area increases from 7558sqm to 9142sqm.
The overall landscaped area has been increased and the shopping centre design has been revised to reflect the “Cooroy township character”.
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An updated economic impact assessment report by Location IQ also addresses concerns around the need for the development.
“The provision of supermarket floorspace in the Noosa Local Government Area is currently in line with the SEQ averages,” it says.
“This figure, however, is misleading given Noosa LGA, at any one time, includes a significant number of tourists – estimated at almost 25 per cent of the permanent population. Consequently, taking into account tourists, the provision is very low.
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“The above is reinforced by the performance of Woolworths supermarkets in Noosa LGA, which trade at around 40 per cent to 50 per cent higher than Woolworths stores nationally.
“Taking a conservative approach and assuming 80 per cent of supermarket floor space services local residents (20 per cent to service tourists) and with ongoing population growth, the supermarket provision in Noosa LGA remains at or only slightly above the SEQ average over the period to 2046.
“For the catchment area the provision of supermarket floor space is similarly at or near the SEQ average over the forecast period following the addition of Woolworths Cooroy and a supermarket at Eumundi.
“The provision of a full-line supermarket at Cooroy is appropriate in this environment.”
A spokesperson said Woolworths was committed to working with the community on the project.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to deliver a high-quality retail development, alongside an aged care facility, at Cooroy,” they said.
“We undertook consultation prior to lodgement and shared an update with local community members last week.
“We encourage further feedback on our proposal throughout the new public notification period and look forward to progressing to the next stage.”
The planned development would also feature eight direct-to-boot pick-up bays, an alfresco dining area and more than 250 car parking spaces.
The application’s 120-place residential aged care home would have the potential for expansion to accommodate 40 more beds. The aged care facility would be separated from the commercial components to ensure privacy and safety for residents.
More information is available here.
