Planning support measures helping Queensland businesses

Another local Queensland business has officially reopened its doors to clients today, thanks to a temporary use licence (TUL) issued by the Queensland Government.  

Sporting Wheelies — a specialist Brisbane-based therapy provider of rehabilitation and recreational sports for all-abilities clients — was forced to close its doors in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic because its premises didn’t allow for social distancing.

Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said the Palaszczuk Government has led the nation in rapidly rolling out planning law changes that have benefited all Queenslanders, particularly small businesses such as Sporting Wheelies.

“Planning has played an important role in Queensland’s COVID-19 response and economic recovery from the outset,” Mr Dick said.

“Temporary use licences have been a fundamental part of our planning response and have supported businesses to continue to operate and respond to the ever-changing environment.

“For Sporting Wheelies, a temporary use licence has meant it could relocate to a much larger premises, complete minor building works and start trading — while seeking development approval to change the material use of the building.”

Sporting Wheelies CEO Amanda Mather said that the TUL has allowed the registered charity to welcome back clients and high-performance para-athletes who hadn’t been able to access their services or train since March.

“We cater to a variety of clients — many who are immunocompromised — so when coronavirus hit, we couldn’t practice social distancing and keep everyone safe in our small premises,” Ms Mather said.

“Unfortunately, our closure meant that many of our clients lost their opportunity to get involved in the social and recreational activities we offer such as goalball, boccia, wheelchair rugby and basketball.

“Our high-performance para-athletes training for Tokyo 2021 also missed out on their team training and one-on-one coaching.

“Our new location has a larger gym and dedicated goalball and boccia courts, which means we can help more people with rehabilitative services and more people get involved in sports.”

Mr Dick said the Queensland Government was committed to simplifying planning processes and reducing red-tape to help businesses get back on their feet faster.

“As we Unite and Recover from COVID-19, we will continue to refine planning processes and implement planning initiatives to support businesses and create jobs,” Mr Dick said.  

Visit the Queensland Government’s cutting planning red-tape webpage to learn more about the changes.

ENDS

Media contact: Lesley Major 0419 288 284