A SURVEY to gauge interest in an aged care home on the islands has been completed, with 588 Macleay Island residents voting in favour of establishing a facility.
Islander Lindsay Hackett, who helped create the survey with fellow resident Gayle Nemeth, said the results showed clearly that there was a need for a home to be set up on the islands.
The responses told an interesting tale, with 389 of the 608 who voted wanting a facility to be opened eventually. In the context of the survey, that meant more than 11 years down the track.
Setting up a home now was the least popular result, receiving just 51 votes, while within 10 years garnered support from 73 voters and within five years 91.
A total of 20 people voted against the proposal, with the majority of those who participated aged over 41.
Mr Hackett said many respondents aged well over 75 were surprisingly among those who voted for a facility to be set up well into the future.
"The survey has clearly confirmed the need for an island nursing home," he said.
"This survey was a required first step (but) there are many hurdles still to jump.
"The availability of sufficient land on the Islands for the development, development zoning, sewage and waste water disposal, government funding assistance, and authorities agreeing that islanders will have priority access to places in the nursing home are some."
Macleay Island was voted the preferred location for the facility, edging out Russell by 124 votes.
In all, 21.4 per cent of the population - which stood at 2681 people after the 2016 census - took part in the survey.
Mr Hackett said the want for a home was a need in the case of islanders who were looking to remain close to family and friends.
He said the next step was to speak with aged care organisations like Uniting Care Queensland.
"A most important element of this survey is that each response is a personal, signed and dated, statement of need or anticipated need," he said.
"It is not a petition that people may sign in sympathy without strong commitment."
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