The opportunity to attract more specialists to town and cater for growth have prompted a medical clinic to relocate.
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Marima Medical Clinic won unanimous council approval on Tuesday for a new premises in the former Go-Lo building at 152 Auburn Street.
The sign-off came amid debate about CBD parking and whether the facility could utilise on-street spaces.
Practice manager Kim Weeks said the approval paved the way for a larger service offering. Marima was established 20 years ago in Newo House, Montague Street. It is now owned by Medical Seventh.
"The building (we currently occupy) in Montague Street is old and dated and we're running out of space," she said.
It houses 10 consulting rooms and health and education space upstairs which is not accessible by lift.
The spacious Auburn Street premises will accommodate 14 consulting rooms, two procedure rooms, five offices and a front reception area, all on one level.
The premises' owners, Goulburn Building Products, is fitting out the former store for a mid-November completion.
"People are looking for a one-stop-shop for medical services and don't want to go here, there and everywhere for their appointments," Mrs Weeks said.
"In terms of collaboration with other health professions, it is better to have them in one space."
Marima already has visiting specialists including a urologist, an endocrinologist, three clinical psychologists and a dietician.
But with Goulburn Base Hospital's redevelopment nearing completion, the clinic hopes to attract more specialties that don't duplicate existing ones.
Mrs Weeks said Goulburn was well-serviced with specialists but hoped the larger clinic would help address the city's "transient" GP population and the trend towards telehealth, which she believed didn't suit everyone.
"We (also) chose this location in the middle of town so specialists can come and work, stay nearby and have everything at hand," she said.
In future, there are plans for a separate cosmetic and skin cancer treatment area in a rear section.
The clinic could employ more staff depending on the extra services.
Parking under scrutiny
Meantime, parking provisions at the new premises came under the spotlight at Tuesday's meeting.
The development application, lodged in June, was delayed after planners requested a traffic and parking study.
Under a development control plan, the project required 53 car parking spaces, taking staff and patient numbers into account. But with just 14 provided at the rear, it fell 39 short.
The traffic study argued that there were 420 publicly available spaces within 200 metres and 99 of these were vacant at the peak 11am time. During peak demand, 33 spaces would be needed.
Architect Tim Lee also maintained during open forum on Tuesday that there was ample off-street parking and the current facility also relied on this, especially in Cartwright Place. This same area could be utilised for the Auburn Street clinic, given the Cartwright Place rear access.
Planners conceded the point.
Deputy Mayor Peter Walker also asked that a disabled parking spot be placed at the Auburn Street frontage, complementing two at the rear. This will be considered separately and not part of the DA.
He also questioned Mr Lee on whether he believed greater connectivity could be created in the precinct, linking Cartwright Place and Auburn Streets.
Though outside the development application, Mr Lee said a pedestrian network could be established between the two but also nearby Verner Street. The median strip on Cartwright Place could also be formalised.
After the meeting, general manager Warwick Bennett said all information pointed to Goulburn having sufficient CBD parking without the need to build more.
"This was proven in our (traffic and parking) study for the performing arts centre, although we looked at a 400 metre radius," he said.
"When you have a CBD like ours, the only way to build additional car parking is to go upward and demolish buildings. We don't see the need to do that."
A CBD strategy, taking car parking and other aspects into account, will be completed by year's end.
Mr Bennett said the medical clinic's expansion demonstrated the amount of confidence in the local market, which was also reflected in "booming" housing and commercial prices.
- Crs Margaret O'Neill and Alfie Walker declared interests in the matter due to associations with Tim Lee's architectural firm.
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
