Notorious Gympie problem threatens ‘landmark’ development
Fierce competition for parking spots near the Gympie Hospital could prove to be a big issue for the developers of a proposed aged care facility in the precinct which would add to the problem
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ONE of Gympie’s most notorious problems now threatens to create an issue for a proposed “landmark” four-storey aged care centre near the Gympie Hospital.
Parking has reared its head as a concern for the development, with multiple submissions raising fears the 108-bed facility will add to the parking issues already being experience in and around the hospital.
The centre’s application said traffic at the centre would be directed to Duke Street and 36 parking spaces are built into the initial design.
Several of the submissions lodged with Gympie Regional Council said the proposal would be good and provide “much needed” care for the region’s ageing population, but not without some serious consequences in its present state.
One submission said the two-way King Street had been cut in half already.
“Cars parking in non-designated areas effectively render this street a one-way lane, whereby courteous behaviour (i.e. taking turns while driving in opposite directions) is the only preventive measure to head-on collisions and reversing from private driveways poses significant risk,” it said.
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And the developers wanted to “remove a further minimum two parking spaces in the
vicinity of the driveway entrance which will exacerbate the pre-existing problem and, in
the absence of driver awareness, increase the potential of traffic accidents.”
Another submission said they had taken to helping others skirt the issue altogether.
“We are offering our driveway to friends and family to park for hospital appointments as they find there is nowhere for them to park majority of the time,” they said.
“I worry that with all the staff, doctors, administrative staff, visitors and other personnel needed to work there the street is going to become even worse.”
A third submission said if the facility was approved without addressing parking issues, the result would not be a good outcome for those needing to use the facility.
“There is very little street parking nearby, and it is often all taken by hospital and court visitors,” they said.
“It is not sensible for a newly planned facility to rely on street parking.
“If there is not enough parking for family and friends to visit people in residential care, they may be discouraged from visiting, and this will be detrimental to the care being provided.”
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