Gympie council in midst of 10-year high development surge

Gympie council’s development team is “under the pump” thanks to an influx of applications driving work to a 10-year-high – and there is little sign of things slowing down.

Development has becoming a booming industry in Gympie with the number of proposals lodged with the council’s planners reaching a 10 year high.

A search of council’s online planning tracker has revealed 266 applications were lodged in 2021, 63 more than were submitted in 2021 and almost double the amount in 2019.

Things were not slowing down, either.

As of May 12 this year the council had received 95 new applications, which if the trend held, put it on track to equal 2021’s totals.

One quarter of these were requests to change how the land could be used while more than 100 applications were made to subdivide land.

The surge in applications has included several large-scale projects including plans from Nolan Meats to build workers’ housing with almost 100 beds, and a new 7-11 at the site of the now-demolished Southside Store.

A new commercial development at Calton Tce in Gympie was one of more than 260 plans lodged with the council in 2021, a 10-year high.

The last time the region experienced a similar surge was in 2011; the council’s planning records show 281 applications were lodged that year.

An average of 182 applications were lodged each year from 2012-2020.

Sustainability director Adrian Burns said the figures highlighted Gympie was a rapidly growing region.

“The influx in applications shows our region has a robust economy despite many external factors including floods and pandemics,” Mr Burns said.

The surge in applications opened the door to delays or a prolonged process.

A prominent Gympie veterinary service on the hunt for a new home after floodwaters ruined their premises said it could take up to nine months for the planning department to even look at any application the business made.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said the influx of applications had put the planning department “under the pump” but staff were working as hard as they could to ensure proposals were addressed within appropriate time frames. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“I understand the time frame for processing can be frustrating but the application process needs to be carried out it a detailed way which conforms to legislation,” Mr Burns said.

Mayor Glen Hartwig said the surge had put the department “under the pump”.

“It is important to remember our region is still recovering from the biggest flood in living memory,” Mr Hartwig said.

“There are backlogs in a lot of areas of the community not just with council.

“Please be patient because I know we are working as hard as we can.

“I want to emphasise the great work our staff are doing in this space.”