Inside Gympie Health Hub, Headspace expansion plans

Developers have unveiled plans to expand a key piece of Gympie’s health network as services struggle to meet growing demand.

Plans to expand the Gympie Health Hub at the corner of Horseshoe Bend and Lawrence St have been lodged with Gympie Regional Council.

Mental health care in the heart of Gympie is in line for a boost with plans to expand the Gympie Health Hub at the corner of Lawrence St and Horseshoe Bend to cater for growing demand.

Under the plans lodged with the council by Ross and Daphne Davies, a split-level building will be constructed to the north of the existing hub, opening the door to more services.

A weatherboard house sitting on the block of land earmarked for the expansion will be removed.

The upper level will house three tenants, and the lower level will be used for carparking.

The Gympie Health Hub wants to expand to cater for growing demand.

The proposal has the backing of the Central Queensland, Wide Bay and Sunshine Coast Private Health Network and Youturn Youth Support, which runs the Gympie Headspace service.

“The growing mental health needs in Australia have been well documented during the pandemic and Gympie has been no stranger to this problem,” Youturn general manager Nicholas Fawcett said in a letter of support.

Mr Fawcett said the group’s services were “in high demand” and funding had been secured, but room to grow remained a key challenge.

If approved the new building will replace a weatherboard house on Lawrence St.

“The expansion of our services will only be possible with more floor area and the Davies family’s willingness to help address this need provides a pathway for this to occur,” Mr Fawcett said.

This proposal would address the need and allow its services to cover Gympie “for the foreseeable future … and enhance the Gympie Health Hub as a complete and one stop shop.”