Sunshine Coast Regional Council Media Release

Council supports palliative care hospices

Sunshine Coast Regional Council has thrown its support behind a move to provide the best quality of life possible for the terminally ill by voting to amend its current planning schemes to allow the use of residential houses for palliative care hospices
 
At its Ordinary Meeting 4 February 2010, council recognised that palliative care in home-like environments can better meet some individual’s needs by voting to amend the Caloundra City Plan 2004, the Maroochy Plan 2000 and the Noosa Plan 2006 to allow for dwelling houses to be used for ‘community residences’ (hospice).
 
Social Policy portfolio holder, Anna Grosskreutz said the lack of alternatives for the care of terminally ill on the Sunshine Coast is a serious concern and impacts directly on community and social well being.
 
“Council has made an obvious and compassionate decision of enormous benefit to those who are terminally ill, their families and carers,” Cr Grosskreutz said.
 
“Hospice care is designed to help residents live each day as fully as possible by meeting their emotional, social and medical needs.
 
"It also offers relief to the families and primary carers of those suffering a terminal illness by providing them with respite from having to provide continuous care.
 
“By making hospices ‘self assessable’ under the Coast’s current planning schemes, council is making it quicker for those who want to provide this special residential care and easier for those looking for it, to find it.”
 
In the short term, council will prepare Temporary Local Planning Instruments (TLPIs) to allow for ‘community residences’ (hospice) in each of the current planning schemes, with amendments to the planning schemes to follow.
 
The proposed TLPIs will allow for accommodation of a maximum of six plus one support worker in existing detached dwellings in residential zones, rural residential and rural zones and will be ‘self assessable’ under the relevant planning schemes.
 
Ends
 
Media enquiries:
Cr Anna Grosskreutz, Ph 5420 8987 Mob 0438 923 569
Raul Weychardt, Project Director Regional Strategy, Ph 5441 8674
Anne Henley, Corporate Communications Ph 5449 5282 / 5441 9318