On Sunday I popped into the Coochiemudlo Island Beach Bar and Grill for Rebecca Young MP's mobile office session.

 

There were probably around a dozen people who came and went over the couple of hours Rebecca was there. It was pretty casual, not a formal meeting, more a case of people drifting in, pulling up a chair, and jumping into whatever conversation was already happening.

 

And the conversations did what conversations on Coochie tend to do… meander.

 

We started (unsurprisingly) with the ambulance. Where are we going to store it? That one’s not going away anytime soon. There was some talk around possible locations, including Surf Life Savers and whether their space could be used for the ambulance, but as they’ve recently re-signed their lease, that idea seems to be off the table for now.

 

There are parameters around response times that apparently rule out anything much past Perulpa Street, which limits potential permanent homes for it. For now, it looks like the ambulance will be relocated from Surf Life Savings to a carpark by the bike racks at the jetty.

 

From there we drifted into dogs. Or more specifically, the lack of a year round off-leash area for our beloved pooches (my words 😁🐾). The fenced area on the Education Department land came up as a possible option, which seems to make a bit of sense.

 

And then, as it always does, the conversation circled back to mainland parking. That old chestnut got a good roasting again. No solutions landed, but it’s clearly still sitting high on the list of frustrations for many, including myself!

 

At one point, one of the Men’s Shed guys popped in. They’re down to 8 members now, from what used to be around 35, and are still dealing with the ongoing issue of not being able to use power tools. You could feel the frustration there… it’s been dragging on for years now!

 

One thing that came up a few times, and probably the most interesting part of the whole session, for me at least, was the Education Department property on the Corner of Shirley & Elizabeth Streets.

 

Now, I may not have this exactly right, so happy to be corrected… but it sounds like the Education Department is open to handing the land over to another State Government department, and then potentially having it leased by the community through Redland City Council.

 

 

None of this was formally discussed as a list, this is more me connecting the dots a bit… but you could easily see that space being used for things like:

👉safe storage for the medical chest

👉meeting and training spaces

👉a tools library

👉an actual library - IF the current library wanted to move to a more central location

👉Church spaces

👉community garden

👉Office space for work at home folks (like me)

👉an off-leash dog area tucked into part of the land

👉maybe even space for arts or kids activities

👉ADD YOUR IDEAS BY HITTING 'REPLY'

 

While I’ve not been inside the buildings, it feels like these are opportunities that could become something really valuable for the island, if it’s done well and with proper community input.

 

Rebecca listened through it all, added context where needed (including some comparisons with the SMBIs), and acknowledged where things sit between State and Council, especially around things like mainland parking and dog parks. No big promises, just a steady conversation.

Overall, it was a good session. Nothing dramatic came out of it, but plenty of useful discussion, and a few threads that feel like they might go somewhere if they keep being pushed.

 

In my opinion, that Education Department site is worth watching closely. It could end up being something pretty special for Coochie if the community leans in and it’s handled right.

 

And I’m looking forward to seeing what comes out of the next one.

 

Note: More of me, less AI in this one. It's my heart and soul you get, and my AI buddy really isn't fussed because, well, no ego there.

 

Register for upcoming opportunities to connect with Bec: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/eventwithbec