Now that Gympie has the State Government for which it has voted, loyally and unavailingly, for at least a decade it is surely time for us to be brought in from the electoral Antarctic.
So here is a short Wish List of urgent priorities.
As a starting point, our local Council and our local Member should urgently seek to have the long-derelict Civic Centre replaced by a larger, more fit-for-purpose facility.
Before we suffer a total cultural eclipse, we should have a venue that will cater not only for serious local theatre but also be large enough to accommodate audiences for major commercial productions which will otherwise use the magnificent Gympie Bypass to continue doing just that.
Another major priority should be the re-development of the lower end of Mary Street to eliminate the disastrous effects of flooding such as occurred in 2022.
It should become the site of a flood-proof, high-rise, multi-purpose building housing much-needed geriatric specialist services.
Gympie might well lay claim to being the geriatric capital of south-east Queensland.
But, ironically, over the years as the population has grown and greyed, the medical services available locally have been systematically and drastically reduced.
Older people, many no longer able to drive, are expected to access essential specialist medical treatment at Buderim or the Sunshine Coast.
The challenge is heightened for residents of ’satellite‘ centres such as Kilkivan, Goomeri, Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach.
It is high time to expose this untenable problem and to solve it.
And a multi-level carpark below the offices and specialist clinics would do much to ease the problem of parking in the inner city.
– Merv Welch
Gympie
