Parkwood Village Endless Surf Wave Pool resort faces traffic issues in built-up Gold Coast suburb

A wave pool planned as part of a massive new resort will need to prove it will not worsen traffic gridlock in a suburb boasting a major hospital and university.

Proponents of a planned wave pool and tourism resort atParkwood will need to prove it will not create worse traffic gridlock in the suburb, which already boasts a major hospital and university.

The State Assessment and Referral Agency (SARA) is seeking confirmation about impacts from the $300 million project which includes a 300m-long surf park, a $10m refurbished golf course, a hotel, 225 extra residential units and a food-and-beverage district.

In its response, Club Parkwood through expert reports has outlined a host of traffic upgrades on nearby roads which it says will not add but possibly reduce congestion.

SARA in its letter to the applicant, said: “Regarding the intersection of Napper Road, Olsen Ave, and Musgrave Ave – the application material highlighted that this intersection is already operating at an oversaturated condition during AM, PM and weekend peak period.”

SARA sought assurances the traffic would not increase due to the tourism attraction.

Parkwood Village managing director Luke Altschwager, who this week held community briefings, said the traffic changes could include:

* Adding a right hand lane to Napper Road heading east, turning into Olsen Ave.

This will allow additional traffic to clear through the signals each signal cycle.

* Another proposal to widen the left turn lane from Musgrave Ave to Olsen Ave, on other side of the intersection.

* Changing the signalling on Napper Road outside the Club, so traffic lights are there, not further east. The whole access will have signals and incorporate the pedestrian crossing into it as well.

* Lengthening the existing right turn pocket from Napper Road into Captain Cook Drive, and adding an additional right turn pocket from Captain Cook Drive out onto Napper Road to improve the number of vehicles that clear each signal cycle.

The upgrades are understood to be consistent with a trunk intersection upgrade already planned by Gold Coast City Council, which was tested with the club development traffic and “found to operate satisfactorily’.

Asked about the funding, Mr Altschwager said the Olsen Ave upgrades would likely be funded by the club to offset the impacts from the development to this part of the network.

“The club will pay for the signalisation and upgrades at our access intersection. The upgrades at the Captain Cook Drive intersection are understood to be consistent with a trunk intersection upgrade planned by council for which funding is understood to be available through council to be confirmed through the application and approval process,” he said.

Mr Altschwager said the upgrades were planned with the State Government’s requirements of “no net worsening”.

“Which means the upgrades proposed are expected to be bring those components of the network back to operations generally consistent with how they operate today — not worse,” he said.

“In the case of the Olsen Ave intersection, our latest testing shows that this intersection will actually operate better as it looks to unconstrain some already constrained parts of the intersection improving signal efficiency and reducing average delays for the intersection overall.”

The Bulletin understands the upgrades are not yet approved and need to go through the application and approvals process with the relevant road authorities.

‘Extreme hazard’: $300m wave pool’s flood challenge

August 12: The $300m Club Parkwood wave pool tourism project will need to prove it will not further add to the shocking floods that affect the suburb during extreme weather.

City officers have flagged concerns about the proposal, asking for information on “flood hazard and stormwater management and flood emergency matters”.

However, Parkwood Village managing director Luke Altschwager told the Bulletin: “Flooding has been well and truly dealt with at a technical level. We are very confident there.

“There’s an improvement in storage (from having this development) of around 15,000 cubic metres. That’s a net gain.”

Council planners warned recent flooding caused Napper Road to be closed for three days and “is likely to be cut for longer periods during extreme flood events”.

The development site is located within the catchment of the Biggera Creek flood detention dam, which officers said had an “extreme hazard rating” and put more than 2000 residents in Labrador at risk.

The city wants assurances that the new wave pool and accommodation as part of an integrated surf park village will not cause a negative impact on peak flood levels or when that water is later discharged.

The Parkwood site for the wave pool tourism development. The red boundary shows the site and residential areas.

About 1457 people would be in the village but more with a Brew House being proposed.

“There is a concern that the increased numbers of people and staff and low immunity of carparking associated with the proposal increases the flood risk associated with the use of the site,” a council officer wrote.

After reading updated consultant reports, area councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden said the applicant suggested flooding levels in all scenarios would change “by less than 2mm”.

“From going through those suggests there will be very little variants in the flood levels at all the different rain events,” he said.

“The concerns being raised by residents are very genuine. It can have very serious consequences for the area. Twice this year Napper Rd has gone under water. I’m definitely going to wait for the report from the city planning officers and their opinions on what this flood modelling means.”

In its response, the applicant says “overland flow paths are not altered”.

Wet weather – the Gold Coast Titans training ground underwater in Parkwood. Picture: Nigel Hallett

A flood emergency plan was previously approved for the site and a new one prepared by engineers supported the new project.

“The proposed development has no impact on surrounding flood levels up and to and including the PMF (the maximum flood expected) event,” the applicant’s response said.

Some residents supported the project in submissions, but others were concerned about flooding.

“Utilising a flood plain for this development is not the appropriate location for such design, regardless of the environmental engineering in place to prevent repercussions from flooding events,” a resident wrote.

Residents have until September 2 to have their say on the proposed golf and surf mega-resort, which will include a 300m-long surf park and giant wave pool, a $10m refurbished golf course, a hotel, 225 extra residential units and a food-and-beverage district.

Construction will create 760 jobs and a further 473 jobs during operation.

The proposed layout of the resort

Mr Altschwager maintains the development will be community-friendly.

“We brought engineers in right at the start of the project and told them they need to make sure whatever we build, residents aren’t disturbed, especially by the pool or patrons,” he said.

The wave pool – dubbed the Endless Surf Wave Lagoon – is the star attraction of the resort, and will produce 2.1m-high, spinning barrel waves at eight-second intervals.

Patrons will be allowed into the pool in groups, with one hour of surfing time allotted.

“Our pool is booking driven,” Mr Altschwager said. “We put 80 people in the wave pool, they surf for an hour and get out to make way for the next 80 people.”

He rejected the notion that would-be customers would opt for the beach instead.

“The Gold Coast is a mecca for surfing, but we don’t have a surf park.”

An artist's impression of the proposed wave pool

The wave pool will be the centrepiece of the resort

Mayor Tom Tate is backing the project, saying “renewing our tourism assets is crucial from a local, intrastate and international visitor perspective”.