Surgery proposed for doctorless Kioloa on south coast

A south coast village lacking any doctor’s offices could soon see its first come to the town, with plans to convert a one-bedroom unit into a surgery.

If approved, the building's stairs will be replaced with a ramp.

A small NSW south coast town with without a doctor could see the issue eased with plans to convert a residential unit into the beachside hamlet’s first and only general practitioners office.

The proposal to convert a one-bedroom unit in Kioloa to a doctor’s surgery currently sits with the Shoalhaven Council for approval.

Documents tendered to the development application reveal the small unit at 3 Merry St, Kioloa, would be converted into the doctor’s office and surgery through some demolition and reworking of the structure’s floor plan.

Submitted by Batemans Bay developer Stephen Seidel, the development would see the office built in an area zoned for mixed-use, sitting alongside a cafe and general store.

A spokesman for Mr Seidel’s company – Seidel Building Design – said the office would be the first of its kind in Kioloa.

The proposed doctor's office is proposed for a mixed-use block.

He said the new office, if approved by council, would operate Tuesday to Thursday, 9am to 4pm, with an independent doctor contracted to run the office.

Residents in Kioloa have welcomed the proposal, saying it would make life easier.

The doctor's office is proposed for Merry St, Kioloa.

Liam Foster is one of these residents, who said he needed to travel out of Kioloa just to go to a doctor.

“We need to go to somewhere like Batemans Bay, which is a good 40 minute drive,” he said.

“Having a doctor’s office right in town will make life so much easier.”

Resident Lila Dawson agreed, saying she hoped the development was approved.

“It doesn’t make sense in this day and age to have no doctors available in any town, no matter their size,” she said.

“It’s about time something like this came to Kioloa.”

Planning documents state the construction would see the removal of existing stairs leading into the building, instead replacing them with a ramp.

The Seidel Building Design spokesman said doctor’s office would use the existing windows and the main works will be changing the floor plan, removing some internal walls.

He said there would be no new carparking spaces built with the development, as existing spaces for the surrounding businesses would facilitate the office.

“There are seventeen carparking spaces available that service the entire development that consist of a general store and a cafe,” the spokesman said.

“The majority of customers using the general store and cafe arrive by either walking or riding a bicycle; this explains why the carparking area is under-utilised.”

Shoalhaven Council will discuss the plans for the proposed doctor’s office in the coming months.

Got a news tip? Email us at [e-mail]