Inside 15 major Gympie region developments resolved by the council
More than 180 development applications were finalised by Gympie Regional Council in 2021, more than in either 2019 or 2020. These are some of the biggest and most controversial proposals of the year.
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From funeral parlours to car dealerships there was no shortage of projects floated across the Gympie region in 2021.
The onslaught of applications has prompted a busy year for Gympie Regional Council’s Planning Department which resolved more than 180 applications in the past 11 months; more than were completed in 2020 and 2019.
These are the most prominent developments to be approved or rejected in 2021.
Funeral parlour
Plans to build a controversial funeral parlour opposite the KFC restaurant were brought to an end by the developer itself with a surprise decision to pull the plug.
No reason was given for the decision.
The project drew heavy criticism due to its proposed location, which was not only opposite a fast-food restaurant but next to an aged care home.
‘Landmark’ aged care centre
Aged care in Gympie was put front and centre with the approval of a 108-bed nursing home near Gympie Hospital, but the question remains whether the project will ever be built.
The project was approved unanimously by councillors in February.
However, its future fell under a cloud in October when developers Pesdev failed to sell it on the open market.
Southside nursing home
A second major boost to Gympie’s aged care services was delivered in May when councillors approved a 100-bed nursing home on the Southside.
The centre will be built on 1.2ha of vacant land at the corner of Copp and Ramsay Roads.
A men’s shed will be built with the centre but will only be able to host a handful of people at any given time due to noise restrictions.
Big shift for iconic business
One of Gympie’s oldest businesses is powering into a new era thanks to a new dealership on the Monkland.
Madills Motor Group has broken ground on its new centre at the corner of Laurenceson Rd and the Bruce Highway, opposite Bunnings.
The new building will include a new showroom, service centre and outdoor vehicle display area.
The company plans open its doors early in 2022.
Bunnings gets new neighbours
The long-planned second stage of Gympie’s Bunnings development is finally underway, but the hardware giant will not be among the as-yet unidentified new tenants.
The building was initially approved by the council in 2012, and developers were given approval to start construction on the three-shop building in August.
Expansion for Imbil campground
The 40-year-old Imbil Island Retreat is getting a major overhaul which will triple its capacity and add a slew of new amenities, including a mini golf course and a pool.
The facelift includes increasing the number of campsites from 45 to 150 and adding a jumping pillow, bar and cafe along with the pool and golf course.
Guests will be able to enjoy outdoor movies at the retreat although they will be required to finish up at 10pm.
Victory College expansion
A bigger kindergarten, a gymnasium and at least seven new classrooms will form the heart of a major expansion of Victory College, which was given the green light by the council in January.
The school‘s expansion will unfold across five stages.
The first involves demolishing the existing one-storey arts building and replacing it with a new two-storey structure containing a creative arts centre and new classrooms.
St Patrick’s College expansion
St Patrick’s College staff are getting more room to move thanks to a new administration building to be built near the school.
The new building would not have any impact on staff or student numbers at the school, but simply expand teachers’ facilities.
Two homes on Bligh St have been moved to make way for the new building.
Nicks Ready Mix expands
A three-year slog through the planning process finally ended in a win for Nick’s Ready Mix, approved to expand its operations to Monkland.
The Inglewood Hill business perched on the side of the Mary River applied to expand on to a vacant block at Buckley Dr, Monkland in April 2018.
Plans included the construction of a concrete batching plant capable of churning out 36,000 tonnes a year and a transport depot.
The development is to be built over four stages, with the last not starting for at least four years.
7-Eleven to replace Southside shop
Exciting times are ahead for lovers of slurpees and Krispy Kreme doughnuts as Gympie will get a 7-Eleven.
The store is earmarked to be built at the site of the old Southside Store on Exhibition Rd and is expected to open by mid to late 2022.
The Southside Store, there for decades, will be bulldozed and replaced it with a new 24-hour service station and 7-Eleven.
$2 million Cooloola Coast foreshore upgrade
A foreshore stroll along Tin Can Bay is on the cards thanks to a boardwalk planned to link the town and Cooloola Cove.
This second stage of the walkway will stretch from Crab Creek to Norman Point and include not only the boardwalk, but directional signs, seating, shade and viewing points.
Macadamia farm unveils 5-year plan to expand
A new farm shop and bed and breakfast are among new projects given approval as part of a Chatsworth macadamia farm’s five-year expansion planned to be finished in 2023.
A new farm shop and cafe built inside an existing shed is expected to be open at Baupal Park Farm by the end of the year.
Goomeri bed and breakfast
Goomeri tourism is getting a boost thanks to Donald and Heather Greeff’s plans to turn an empty Moore St hairdressing shop into a bed and breakfast.
The Greeffs, who bought the property in December 2020, have been given permission to turn the existing house on the block into a two bedroom “boutique accommodation”.
They said the project would allow more visitors to the town to stay “on a short-term basis”, with the added benefit of their business flowing on to food outlets and retail shops nearby.
McIntosh Creek subdivision
McIntosh Creek’s population will be getting a shot in the arm with a 24-lot subdivision given the tick of approval.
The blocks will be sliced from the front of a 115ha property located off McIntosh Creek Road.
They will range in size from 4017sq m (an acre) to 10,300sq m (2.5 acres) and will form stages three and four of The Grange subdivision which is already underway on adjoining blocks.
Substation to be torn down
An electrical substation that has stood outside Kilkivan since 1969 is to be torn down and replaced with a new one.
Ergon Energy has asked for permission to build a new substation on the same block of land, but further south, due to the existing station’s age and the fact several parts are nearing the end of their lifespans.
Ergon said replacing the station fronting the Wide Bay Highway and Rossmore Rd was “more prudent than ongoing reactive investment in end-of-life assets”.
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Originally published as Inside 15 major Gympie region developments resolved by the council
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