TUGUN BYPASS Environmental Impact Statement Part E – Impacts of the proposed Tugun Bypass on the socioeconomic environment TUGUN BYPASS Environmental Impact Statement 12. Land use, planning and transport 12.1 Introduction The relationship between available transport systems and the development of land has been recognised for many years. The introduction of new transport infrastructure can stimulate the development of adjacent rural land for more intensive uses and, at the same time, the development of land will generate a demand for movement. Where land has been reserved for a future road for many years, adjacent uses will often anticipate its implementation. The process of traffic modelling, which seeks to identify the anticipated effects of building a major new link in the road network, depends on an understanding that the movement generated by future land uses requires accommodation by the available infrastructure. This process is tempered by the application of planning and transport policies. The following two chapters address these issues. Chapter 12 deals with land use issues and transport in general following the opening of the bypass. Chapter 13 focuses on potential impacts on the community, including effects resulting from the re-distribution of traffic to the proposed bypass and those occurring as a direct consequence of the introduction of major infrastructure to the area. Other impacts, such as noise, air quality and visual effects, collectively influence the amenity of residents and business occupants who would be affected by the new road. The impacts of the individual environmental effects are described in detail in Chapters 9, 14 and 16, and in Technical Papers 10, 11 and 13. 12.2 Existing land uses 12.2.1 Overview The area from the existing Stewart Road interchange to Boyd Street consists of land used for residential, industrial and community purposes; there is also some bushland. The land surrounding the proposed Tweed Heads Bypass interchange to the south of the alignment consists mainly of land used for residential, rural and industrial purposes. The land in between is used by Gold Coast Airport, a large proportion of which is undeveloped. This has been a result of operational needs of the airport such as the protection of the obstacle limitation surface and the incompatibility of residential development with airport operations. Existing land uses in the area adjacent to the proposed bypass are shown in Figure 12.1. 12.2.2 Vacant/under construction Land to the north and west of Boyd Street mainly consists of bushland, a large proportion of which has been approved for future urban development and residential subdivision. Page 12-1 Stewart Road Gold Coast Highway CURRUMBIN Millers CURRUMBIN WATERS Drive Teemangum Street Bienvenue Pacific Highway Drive Queensland TUGUN New South Wales HEIGHTS Mireen Drive Toolona Street Marion Street John Flynn Hospital and Medical Centre Kitchener Street Mulberry Parade TUGUN Boyd Street Golden Four Drive Betty Diamond Sports Complex Tugun Landfill Adina Avenue Coral Sea Gold Coast Airport Gold Coast Highway Pacific Parade Cobaki Broadwater National Estate Proposed Tugun Bypass Gold Coast Airport Boundary Queensland/NSW Border Proposed Access Bridges Tunnel Musgrave Street Community/Special Uses Residential Industry Cobaki Creek Open Space Commercial/Retail/Accommodation Recreation TWEED Lakeside Christian Vacant HEADS College Under Construction WEST Undeveloped Bushland Miles Street TWEED HEADS Kennedy Drive Terranora Creek Ducat Street Dutton Street DixonDix Street 0 1.0 Km Source:Tweed LEP 2000/Gold Coast Planning Scheme Source:Tweed Figure 12.1 Existing Land Uses in the Study Area TUGUN BYPASS Environmental Impact Statement 12.2.3 Community and special uses The airport generally consists of the major north-south runway, domestic and international terminal building, charter terminal, aviation support facilities, non-aviation commercial facilities to the east of the proposed alignment, and open space buffer areas and conservation areas to the west and south. The John Flynn Hospital and Medical Centre, the major medical facility in the southern Gold Coast, is located to the north of Boyd Street. The bypass would pass directly to the west of the hospital. Tugun Landfill is also adjacent to Boyd Street. This is owned and operated by the Gold Coast City Council. Solid waste has been deposited at the site since 1974. Prior to that, the site had been used for the deposition of municipal waste for a period for about 30 years. A sewage treatment plant, now downgraded to a pumping station, adjoins the landfill to the east. Lakeside Christian College is located to the east of the proposed junction with the Tweed Heads Bypass. The school caters for children up to Year 7 and has approximately 200 students. The Tweed Heads West Sewage Treatment Works located to the south of the Tweed Heads Pony and Hack Club and west of the proposed bypass. The location of major community facilities in the area is shown in Figure 12.2. 12.2.4 Residential The main areas of residential land consist of low-density residential development at the northern end of the proposed alignment (near the Stewart Road interchange), multi-unit residential development at Tugun Heights, and low-to-medium-density residential development at the Pacific Beach Estate. Low-rise detached dwellings also exist near the proposed Tweed Heads Bypass interchange. The strip to the east of the Gold Coast Highway from Tugun to Coolangatta is predominantly residential, with a mix of low, medium and high density development. There is a strip of low density housing to the west of the Gold Coast Highway, south of Boyd Street. Access to this area is via a service road parallel to the highway. Two large subdivisions are to be developed in areas adjacent to the proposed bypass. These are the Cobaki Lakes development and the Pacific Beach Estate, located to the west and east of the proposed alignment respectively. The developments would accommodate over 5,000 new dwellings. 12.2.5 Recreation A number of sporting facilities and clubs are located south of Boyd Street, including the Betty Diamond Sporting Complex, which incorporates the Tugun Leagues Club, the Tugun Soccer Club, and a number of other sporting and public facilities. Page 12-3 arade Road Currumbin Primary School St Augustines Catholic Creek Pacific P Primary School Stewart Road Currumbin CURRUMBIN Pacific Motorway Palm Beach Currumbin Private Hospital Millers CURRUMBIN Drive WATERS Gold Coast Highway Teemangum Street Sports Field Bienvenue PPacificacific Motorway Drive Queensland New South Wales Mireen Drive TUGUN Toolona Street HEIGHTS Marion Street Atkin Park John Flynn Hospital and TUGUNKitchener Street Medical Centre Mulberry Parade Irene Street Monash Street Golf Driving Range Boyd Street Morshead Street Land of Legend Park Tugun Leagues Club Betty Diamond Sporting Complex Golden Four Drive Adina Avenue Coral Sea Gold Coast Highway Highway Highway Coast Coast Coast Gold Gold Gold Gold Coast Parade Pacific Airport Bilinga Fire Department Creek ki Bilinga Ambulance Station ba Co Cobaki Broadwater Proposed Tugun Bypass Gold Coast Airport Boundary Queensland/NSW Border Proposed Access Bridges Tunnel Hospital Coolangatta Fire Department Musgrave Street Ambulance Station k ree Recreation Facility C aki Tweed Heads Pony and Hack Club Cob Road Place of Worship Tweed Heads Bypass School Border Park Raceway C TWEED Council Office HEADS WEST Coolangatta Primary School P Police Station Coolangatta Special School Lakeside Christian Church Miles Street P Lakeside Christian College C TWEED GCC Council Centre err T ano Kennedy Drive HEADS St Peters School ra C re Ducat Street ek DuttonSt Street Josephs Primary School 1.0 Tweed Heads Shire Dixon Street 0 Council Centre C Km Figure 12.2 Location of Major Community Facilities in the Study Area TUGUN BYPASS Environmental Impact Statement The Tweed Heads Pony and Hack Club is located on a large parcel of NSW Crown land adjoining the southern boundary of Gold Coast Airport. It consists of mainly cleared areas, with several paddocks, stables and yards, and trail riding areas. The location of these recreation areas is shown in Figure 12.2. 12.2.6 Industry The Currumbin Waters Industrial Estate is located at the northern end of the proposed Tugun Bypass corridor. A small area of light industrial uses is located to the north of Boyd Street. This consists of a car park within a large shed for travellers using Gold Coast Airport, and small businesses in warehouse-type accommodation. A sand-blasting operation was located at the southern end of the proposed bypass, adjacent to the junction with Tweed Heads Bypass. This operation has now closed. The remainder of the property consist of semi-cleared land containing piles of disused scrap metal. 12.3 Implications for local planning strategies Both Gold Coast City Council and Tweed Shire Council have acknowledged the importance of improving transport infrastructure in response to the increasing demand brought about by population and tourism growth. Their planning strategies have also shown a commitment to the development of an alternative inland transportation corridor to resolve safety and efficiency problems of the existing highway from north of Tugun to the Tweed Heads Bypass. A large proportion of the alignment of the proposal between Boyd Street and Kennedy Drive is defined as an existing road reservation according to the local environmental plan and planning scheme for Tweed Shire and Gold Coast City respectively. Owing to the constraints identified during the impact assessment process, the alignment of the road has been amended for the EIS and, therefore, sections of the proposal are located outside the road reservation. This remaining land, with the exception of a number of private properties in the vicinity of the proposed junction with the Tweed Heads Bypass, is predominantly zoned for airport buffers and environmental protection purposes. Existing generalised zoning in the area adjacent to the proposed Tugun Bypass is shown in Figure 12.3.