Centre Improvement Program
Planning, Environment & Transport Directorate
Stakeholder Consultation Report
for
Thomas Drive, Chevron Island
Centre Improvement Project
April 2009
THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
Author:
John Dayman
Project Leader Centre Improvement Program
Project Sponsor:
Matthew Hulse
Manager Implementation & Assessment
Asset Custodian:
Mark Ash
Manager Engineering Assets & Planning
Ross Greenwood
Executive Coordinator Parks
Date First Drafted:
April 2009
VERSION HISTORY
Version
v.01
Comments/Change
First draft
Changed by &
Date
Date Issued
April 2009
THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
CONTENTS
1.0
THE CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM ..............................................................1
2.0
THE THOMAS DRIVE CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ..1
2.1 BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................1
2.2 LAUNCHING THE PROJECT .....................................................................................2
3.0
COMMUNITY CONSULTATION .................................................................................3
3.1 FIRST MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP ............................................3
3.1.1 The Workbook and Identification of Issues in Thomas Drive
Chevron Island...........................................................................................3
3.1.2 Mapping Exercises ....................................................................................4
3.2 SECOND MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP ........................................4
3.3 THIRD MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP............................................4
3.4 FOURTH MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP......................................5
4.0
FUTURE CONSULTATION.........................................................................................5
THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
1.0 THE CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
The Centre Improvement Program was set up by Council to facilitate the physical, economic
and social revitalisation of commercial centres across the Gold Coast. It aims to transform the
city’s centres into:
 attractive, vibrant places where people want to be;
 places that embrace community needs and aspirations;
 comfortable, convenient places with improved personal, traffic and pedestrian safety;
 places of unique identity celebrating local character; and
 successful business and community destinations.
The Centre Improvement Program provides an opportunity for Council, commercial property
owners, traders and the local community to work together to achieve a better outcome for each
local centre. The program partners with commercial property owners in the respective centres,
by offering them the opportunity to vote on the establishment of a Centre Improvement project
within their area. If a majority of commercial property owners vote to proceed with a project in
their centre, Council provides two thirds of the capital cost of the project and the commercial
property owners provide the remaining one third, which is paid to Council as a levy through the
rates system, over a ten-year period. The total proposed budget for this project is $1,800,000.
Community consultation is a key component of every Centre Improvement project. Following a
successful ballot, a Project Reference Group is formed, with membership comprising
commercial property owners from the project area, traders operating businesses in the project
area and relevant members of the local community. The role of the Project Reference Group is
to:
 Contribute local knowledge and identify issues relevant to the project;
 Discuss issues relating to the proposed improvements with other stakeholders between
meetings and report back relevant comments;
 Review and comment on proposed design concepts; and
 Establish project priorities based on available funding.
Centre Improvement Program staff work with the Project Reference Group to establish the key
issues and concerns in the project area, as well as strategies and a Master Plan to address
them. A second phase of the community consultation process is conducted by placing the Draft
Master Plan on public display to seek wider comment and endorsement from the local
community.
2.0 THE THOMAS DRIVE CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
2.1
BACKGROUND
During late April and early May 2003, Council approached the owners of commercial property in
Thomas Drive, Chevron Island, seeking their endorsement of a proposed partnership to
undertake revitalisation in the centre. The ballot that followed, however, did not receive the
required majority support for the project to proceed. Various proposals for undergrounding of
power were subsequently investigated by Council’s Engineering Directorate, all of which were
shelved due to lack of funding and low priority rating.
Over the last two years, numerous representations have been made to Council by business
operators and traders, from within the Chevron Island commercial centre, requesting Council to
undertake revitalisation upgrade works in the area. In response to these representations,
Council again offered the opportunity to owners of commercial property in Thomas Drive to
enter into a partnership for the revitalisation of the centre.
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THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
The Chevron Island Commercial Centre Improvement Project incorporates the properties
fronting the intersections of Thomas Drive and Mawarra Street, and Thomas Drive and Burra
Street (and Adori Street) and those properties fronting the section of Thomas Drive between
these intersections (as shown on the following diagram).
Diagram showing properties within the Thomas Drive, Chevron Island CIP
The Thomas Drive, Chevron Island commercial centre is recognised as a local convenience
centre as well as speciality store and dining destination. It is strategically located between
Surfers Paradise and Bundall, in close proximity to Evandale and bisected by Thomas Drive
which carries high volumes of traffic connecting Surfers Paradise to Bundall. The street level is
generally utilised for lower order retail uses, dominated by personal services, shops, cafes, bars
and takeaway shops. Commercial offices are the predominant land use above street level. The
majority of development is 35 to 45 years old, with many existing buildings, particularly single
storey developments, reaching the end of their economic life. Buildings on the southern side of
Thomas Drive generally have a low site cover, with the rear of the allotments (facing Karloo
Street) utilised for servicing. This has generally resulted in an unattractive interface between
these buildings, the Karloo Street park and public car park facility.
2.2
LAUNCHING THE PROJECT
All commercial property owners within the identified levy area were invited to attend a breakfast
on 19 August 2008. Fourteen property owners (or representative) within the levy area, and the
Councillor for Division 7, attended the breakfast meeting. During the meeting, following a brief
welcome by Councillor Susie Douglas and a video presentation on the Centre Improvement
Program, delegates were given a detailed briefing on what the Program could achieve in this
area of Chevron Island, as well as the implications of the levy and how it is calculated.
Soon after the breakfast, information packs, which included voting forms, were mailed out to all
owners of property in the precinct. Those property owners who had not been able to attend the
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THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
breakfast meeting were individually met with and informed of the project as proposed in the
meeting. Voting closed for the project on 9 September 2008 with a majority affirmative vote and
six property owners nominating for membership of the Project Reference Group.
Traders and business operators in the precinct were identified and informed of the commercial
property owners’ decision via a letter, which also offered them the opportunity to nominate for
membership of the Project Reference Group. A Project Reference Group was set up and
included all those who had nominated for membership of the group.
3.0 COMMUNITY CONSULTATION
Four Project Reference Group meetings were held to facilitate the preparation of the draft
master plan for the Thomas Drive Chevron Island. Meetings have been attended by the
following:
Mark Bayliss
Emmanuel Theodore Cassimatis
Alan Chan
Eleni Comino
Susan Duncan
David Evans
Paul Ievers
Nicholas McAlpine
Brie Lakeman
Michael Parisi
Natasha Santos
Geordie Whitcombe
Chantelle Collin
Sam Harrison
Jean Miller
William Manton
Martin Goldstein
Mark McIvor
3.1
Owner’s representative
Property Owner
Business Operator
Business Operator
Business Operator
Property Owner
Business Operator’s representative
Business Operator’s representative
Business Operator’s representative
Owner’s representative
Business Operator
Business Operator
Business Operator
Business Operator
Business Operator
Property Owner
Owner/ Business Operator’s representative
Property Owner
FIRST MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP
A very successful first meeting of the Thomas Drive Chevron Island Project Reference Group
was held on 29 October 2008. After providing an introduction to the Centre Improvement
Program and urban design process, an analysis and issue identification exercise was
undertaken with the Group in workbook format. Valuable information gleaned through
evaluation of the workbook responses provides beneficial understanding of community needs
and direction for the preparation of a conceptual master plan design.
3.1.1
The Workbook and Identification of Issues in Thomas Drive Chevron Island
Project Reference Group members were asked to complete a workbook that asked many
questions pertaining to Thomas Drive Chevron Island - its: attributes, shortcomings, image,
important features, clients, character, relationship to Surfers Paradise, relationship to the
adjoining water ways; what needs changing or protecting, in relation to traffic in Thomas Drive,
walkability and cyclability, what is different and valuable about the centre, issues of personal
safety; and comments about vegetation and streetscape elements on the site.
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THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
3.1.2
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
Mapping Exercises
Project Reference Group members were also asked to map the extent of the commercial centre,
its entrances/gateways, pathways, barriers, focal points and heart of Thomas Drive commercial
centre. Results were presented at the next Project Reference Group meeting.
3.2
SECOND MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP
A second meeting of the Thomas Drive Chevron Island Project Reference Group was held on 2
December 2008. During the meeting, feedback from the workshop findings and mapping
exercise were presented and discussed with the group. For example, the workbook responses
identified frequently recurring concern that improvement to the visual aesthetics of Thomas
Drive and preservation of its character are significantly important to the group. The workbook
responses contained recurring themes that were used to develop a mission statement to
describe the preferred character for Thomas Drive, Chevron Island. (For further information on
the mission statement, see Project Update No. 2.)
The results of the mapping exercise were combined into a map. This map became a basis for
developing the concept plan for the project. The project team provided information regarding
audits over the site and presented concepts for discussion. A parking questionaire was also
presented to the group.
During the meeting, an open forum gave everyone an opportunity to ask questions and discuss
ideas presented.
3.3
THIRD MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP
A very successful third meeting of the Thomas Drive, Chevron Island Project Reference Group
was held on 24 February 2009. Feedback from the parking questionnaire, local economic
statistics, and first draft concept plan were presented to the group.
The severity of the current condition of the footpaths within the centre and subsequent impacts
were explained to the group. It was also brought to the group’s attention that the existing
parking does not comply with current Australian Standards and would have to be brought up to
standard, with significant impact on footpath widths and street amenity. Several parking layout
options were demonstrated and discussed with the group. It was illustrated how the current
proposal reflects the best balance between amenity and functionality of the centre.
At the completion of the presentation and discussion the Project Reference Group were asked
their opinion and endorsement of the concept plan. They unanimously endorsed the plan
presented to them, and voiced in the meeting (and later by email) very encouraging comments
praising the project and CIP’s effort. Following, are examples of some of the comments
received:
This is great! It will improve Thomas Drive and Chevron Island very dramatically.
I called …to thank you all again for what was an outstanding presentation of concepts on
Tuesday evening, ... Put simply, I can’t think of any improvement to the proposal
presented on Tuesday evening and in my opinion it deals with all of the current
shortcomings of the layout, feel and usability of the commercial centre. I would be
delighted to be associated with an area that has a layout as proposed and presents itself
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THOMAS DRIVE, CHEVRON ISLAND CENTRE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION REPORT
PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT DIRECTORATE
as something truly different from other centres. It will truly ‘wake-up’ an area which is
ready for urban renewal.
A massive congratulation is well deserved to you & your team … in delivering an
excellent presentation with fantastic outcomes benefiting the commercial precinct of
Chevron Island and in turn, the locals & tourists. … You & your team will be instrumental
to the success of the commercial precinct and are most certainly heading in the right
direction.
The CIP team had listened to countless comments made by the Project Reference
Group along with the sample photographs I had complied and carried out their own
investigations to deliver the concept plan that appears to deal with most concerns within
the boundaries of regulations, codes & reasoning. The outcome of the meeting was
certainly a great relief to me and with very positive potential outcomes.
3.4
FOURTH MEETING OF THE PROJECT REFERENCE GROUP
The fourth meeting of the Thomas Drive, Chevron Island Commercial Centre Project Reference
Group was held on 31 March 2009. At this meeting, the Draft Master Plan for Thomas Drive
and an economic and community appraisal were presented to the group.
An open forum gave everyone the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the design
presented. A hard copy of the plan was provided to ensure that members could identify any
amendments they sought to be included in the Draft Master Plan.
At the completion of the presentation and discussion the Project Reference Group were asked
their opinion and for endorsement of the Draft Master Plan. They unanimously endorsed the
Draft Master Plan for public exhibition.
4.0 FUTURE CONSULTATION
The Draft Master Plan for the Thomas Drive, Chevron Island Commercial Centre will be put on
public display from Friday 1 to Thursday 14 May 2009 at the following venues:




Intro Hairdressing
58 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island
Ace Wasabi’s Sushi Cafe
Shop 17, 37 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island
Gold Coast City Council Administration Centres
Nerang and Evandale, and
www.goldcoastcity.com.au/cip
Feedback forms are available at each location to facilitate and encourage comment from the
general public. Once the period for public consultation has closed, the comments received will
be collated and reported back to Council and the Project Reference Group.
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