Which Town is Downtown?

Downtown. I can’t help but start singing Petula Clark’s “when you’re alone and life is making you lonely you can always go downtown” every time I even hear the word. Downtown is easy to find if you are in New York City but ever wondered where exactly ‘downtown’ would be on the Coast?

The local community got to answer this question by having their say on the Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s (SCRC) Position Paper and consequent plans to create a principal economic and social hub in the heart of Maroochydore. The first round of public consultation and talks ended last month, with Council now beginning the process of reviewing the submissions and considering recommendations.

As we await the results from the community feedback period, Business Matters discovered that both the official and unofficial opinions of the local community were varied in identifying the ‘downtown’ of our town.

In 2005, Maroochydore was identified as the region’s Principal Activity Centre under State Government’s South East Queensland (SEQ) Regional Plan 2005 – 2026 and more recently, under the Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009 – 2031.

The role of Maroochydore as the Principal Activity Centre for the Sunshine Coast region was also recognised in the in the SCRC's Growth Management Position Paper and reconfirmed in the Maroochydore Centre Position Paper, which was unveiled in January, this year. The Maroochydore Centre Position Paper sets out the Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s vision to achieve this evolution from a coastal town to a distinctive and thriving coastal centre.
Upon release of the Position Paper, Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbot said Council recognised the important role Maroochydore would play in managing future growth for the region, and the Paper was a significant step in the planning process.

“Maroochydore has long been earmarked as a regional focal point for business, residential and community activity with the potential to provide significant local and regional benefits,” Cr Abbot said.

Cr Abbot said the direction would ultimately provide Sunshine Coast residents with benefits like job opportunities, affordable and diverse housing, significant areas of open space and a range of community facilities and social infrastructure.

According to the project overview, in order for Maroochydore to fulfil its Principal Activity Centre role, the centre will need to create a true community and lifestyle hub; build a cohesive character and identity; attract the investment, employment and commercial activity, which will facilitate economic self-containment; and to foster a more sustainable future.

While Maroochydore appears to have claimed the ‘downtown’ title, I was curious to find out if the Principal Activity Centre was just a modernised term for CBD, which itself was once the modernised term for town centre?
In addressing the seemingly complex terminology surrounding the issue, SCRC Regional Strategy Unit project leader Tamara Clarkson assisted in clarifying the differences between the titles.

“The CBD is the central district of a city, usually typified by a concentration of retail and commercial buildings,” explained Tamara. “The term town centre is similar to CBD in that both serve the same purpose for the city, and both are seen by a higher-than-usual urban density as well as the often having the tallest buildings in a city. The town centre will often have a civic focus,” she said.

The current Draft SEQ Regional Plan has defined a Principal Activity Centre as centres that serve catchments of regional significance and accommodate key employment concentrations. The plan also states that Principal Activity Centres serve business, as well as accommodating regional offices of health, education, cultural and entertainment facilities that have governmental and regional significance. In addition, they also serve as key focal points for regional employment and in-centre residential development.

Representatives from the Regional Strategy and Planning Department highlighted what opportunities Maroochydore would present for those businesses both inside and outside of the Principal Activity Centre.
Senior Policy Officer Roma Stevenson said Maroochydore would provide the opportunity to create a heart for the Sunshine Coast, including vibrant regional businesses and a community hub that offered diverse and dynamic lifestyle opportunities.

“The provision of a diversified, viable and positive commercial environment maximises opportunities for a range of employment and business investment, particularly in innovative, knowledge-based businesses,” Roma said.

“Workforce and customer access will also be facilitated by significant local residential development, together with high quality, fast and frequent public transport service from all major residential centres throughout the region, including the hinterland.”

Roma also said that the response from the general community had been positive.
“Generally the response or reactions from the business and general community have been supportive of Council's initiative to establish a vision for the long term future of the Maroochydore Centre.”

However, not all locals have the same opinion on the issue. Nambour Chamber of Commerce president Alex Blake argued that Nambour was the historical town centre of agricultural and commercial activities on the Sunshine Coast.

“We can all make noise about which is and which isn’t going be the main activity centre but this has little to do with actuality,” said Alex.

“Nambour still has the main railway station, central hospital … all of the peripheral medical activities, five main high schools, the main show grounds,” he said. Nambour also hosts the administrative headquarters of the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

“Our access is second to none on the Sunshine Coast and business investment is just starting. Nambour is currently listed in the top fifteen investment spots in Australia,” said Alex.

“Nambour may not be listed as the main activity centre by name, but watch this space.”

Business Matters contacted a number of businesses representing a wide span of industries located outside of the Principal Activity Centre, to find out how the announcement would affect their businesses. Most business owners and operators were unwilling to comment on the somewhat controversial issue. Two leaders in he business community were prepared to express their views, which have been published below.

TRAVIS SCHULTZ
SCHULTZ TOOMEY O’BRIEN LAWYERS
INNOVATION PARKWAY, KAWANA
What are your views on the announcement of the Principal Activity Centre?
I have no difficulty with Maroochydore being announced as the Principal Activity Centre. My only difficulty is with the notion that there should be one principal activity centre. History shows that certain industries and sectors tend to develop their own ‘business centre’ and it is naive to suggest that Maroochydore is a one-size-fits-all solution.

Maroochydore faces its own challenges particularly with respect to accessibility, parking, traffic and public transport. An attempt to intensify the use of Maroochydore as a principal business centre is only going to amplify the current problems to the point of gridlock. Why not announce Maroochydore as the Principal Activity Centre and acknowledge that there are others within the (now unified) Sunshine Coast region.

How will the announcement affect your business?
The announcement will not have a significant impact on a business like ours, which offers highly specialised services in various areas of law … our clients are more than happy to travel a short distance given that an alternative is often as far afield as Brisbane.

Any trend toward making Maroochydore the Principal Activity Centre will only amplify their existing woes, and there will be a real opportunity for growth by better positioned alternate activity centres, which have better infrastructure, transport, parking and accessibility by public transport.
 
In your opinion, where is the true town centre on the Sunshine Coast?
In my view, there are a number of business centres on the Sunshine Coast. Clearly Maroochydore has become a significant activity centre for retail and commerce. It is commonly regarded as a town centre but one with more than its share of issues.  Why do we need a Sunshine Coast ‘town centre’? Can’t we all just accept that different regions will create their own industry niche?

ANNE LAWRENCE
NOOSA BOARDROOM
EENIE CREEK ROAD, NOOSAVILLE
ANNE LAWRENCE, NOOSA BOARDROOM
We are heavily involved in the Noosa Business community and provide support to a variety of different business types, both large and small. Having the Principal Activity Centre in Maroochydore will not adversely affect our business. The Principal Activity Centre will attract some of the more industrial and heavier sectors to Maroochydore allowing more lighter environmental footprint type businesses to operate in the Biosphere region. Diversity is the key, and business opportunities will follow.

We would like to present business owners and operators with another chance to let us know which town on the Coast you believe is downtown. Please email the magazine at editor@mattersmagazine.com.au to have a say on behalf of your business.

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