2018-04-26 Special Meeting Agenda

SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA   26 APRIL 2018




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SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA                                                                   26 APRIL 2018

                                  Submission No. 1 (continued)

    e   A number of other businesses in the precinct have been operating for over 20 years.
        These include childcare, commercial office space and catering business.
    ¢   Our business employs three people and could employ more if we had better business
        certainty. It is impossible to have business certainty and business planning without
        security of tenure.
    ¢   Our business creates local employment opportunities and a flow on effect to the
        economy.
    ¢   Our business attracts mainly seniors, disabled, and chronic disease management
        patients. Many have significant mobility issues and use wheelie walkers, wheelchairs,
        crutches and walking aids. We also treat neurological patients including conditions
        such as strokes, Parkinson's and peripheral neuropathy. An important treatment for
        many conditions is gait re-education which requires a large safe space. We have
        patients with balance and vestibular issues. Several of our patients have hearing and
        vision impairment and incontinence and may attend with a Carer. We have also been
        for many years a primary Physiotherapy provider for patients at Noosa Respite
        Centre, Wallace Park. Therefore, busy car parks, lifts, stairs and small spaces are
        inappropriate (in fact impossible) for our business. E.g. Noosa Professional Centre is
        completely unsuitable for our patient profile.
    e   Since the inception of Medicare funded Chronic Disease Management Program we
        were probably the only Physio practice on the coast with no gap fees. This year we
        have been forced to charge a small gap fee in order to keep our practice viable.
    e   As you would be aware there is a significant shortage in Noosa of affordable
        commercial space with substantial gross floor area, easy car parking, high visibility
        and easy access. Ours and other Allied Health businesses targeting the Noosa
        population profile of seniors needs these characteristics to operate successfully.
    e   Our business draws in the local, national, international and the tourist health dollar.
        Businesses need good location exposure to continue to attract these patients.
    e   Noosa Council needs to urgently empower local health professional businesses in
        order to counter the inevitable draw of health care and the health dollar to the
        Sunshine Coast University Hospital and surrounds of Birtinya, Kawana, etc. Our
        location and business is compatible with the location and business of Noosa Hospital
        nearby in Goodchap Street. Our location may even be suitable in the future for
        hospital based specialist and allied health rooms with associated car parking so that
        hospital space can be freed up for more urgently required bed space with associated
        car parking. I believe with genuine support from Council, Noosa could be a model for
        best practice, community friendly, quality health care.
    e   Our business does not impact on adjoining residential neighbours at our rear with loud
        music, dog barking, and party noise etc as residential may do.
    e   We believe our business offers a noise buffer for the residents of Noosa Waters
        behind us without depriving them of the public transport and other facilities that
        Eumundi Road offers. Due to our location within the community, a number of our
        clients (especially from the school or Noosa Waters) will walk or cycle to our
        practice.
    e   We believe that our section of the busy and (traffic) noisy Eumundi Road is
        unsuitable for residential and if it was to remain zoned “as is” there is a strong
        possibility it would develop into low standard residential precinct. This would be
        unfortunate for a main entrance road to a world class tourist destination.

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