Single mum seeks bookings, not charity, as council notice threatens her new studio
A Nambour wellness operator says she has been blindsided by an enforcement notice ruling her recovery studio an unlawful use, despite receiving advice before opening that her business could operate in the industrial precinct.
Local Motion Body Recovery founder Charly Fahlstrom said she checked with council before signing her lease and was told the studio was suitable for the Low Impact Industry zone. “It even states ‘sport and recreation’ in that zone, and the real estate (agent) also confirmed this,” she said. “Based on that, I signed the lease and put my entire savings into building the space.”
She said the studio is appointment-only, uses portable equipment and is nothing like a gym. “There have been no complaints, no building works, no noise or safety concerns,” she said.
Charly said she was shocked when Sunshine Coast Council issued an enforcement notice advising she now requires a Material Change of Use (MCU) application to keep operating. “Had I known this would be the outcome, I honestly would never have opened the business,” she said.
The cost of the MCU has pushed her to breaking point. “It’s $8000 just to engage a town planner and another $8000+ towards Unitywater from junk infrastructure charges, though I operate a water-efficient business,” she said. With estimates totalling $12,500 to $20,000, she has been forced to prepare the application herself.
She said no one from council had inspected the studio. “Being in the very new world of wellness, the outdated policies simply don’t match what this business is – but the decision has been made without an inspection,” she said. She also said other businesses in the same area appeared to be operating outside the zone’s scope without requiring an MCU.
For Charly, the stakes go far beyond the business licence. A single mum and sole provider, she built Local Motion Body Recovery after a profound personal transformation sparked by Muay Thai training and the Japanese Misogi tradition. “At the lowest point in my life a few years ago, I found Muay Thai – and it changed my life,” she said.
Her Nambour studio features infrared saunas, magnesium spas, compression therapy and ice baths, services she says help people build physical resilience and emotional strength.
Her vision includes youth resilience programs, men’s mental health support and community-centred challenges aimed at helping people reset and reconnect but they have been put on hold for now. “I had grand plans to start the youth resilience and men’s mental health programs but due to the ongoing stress of this situation I’ve barely been able to focus on growing the business,” she said.
$50 Gift Card if you
book a session
Unable to fund the MCU approval process alone, Charly is calling on the community to support the business by booking sessions at the studio. “I’m asking the community to book in to help raise the funds needed to secure approval so I can keep providing this service and, hopefully, grow the business and hire locally,” she said.
“As a thank you, anyone who mentions this story in the Gazette when booking will receive a $50 gift card. I don’t want handouts – I genuinely just want to help people.”
For more visit www.localmotion.com.au or email hola@localmotion.com.au or go to www.facebook.com/localmotionnambour.
Local Motion Body Recovery owner Charly Fahlstrom says she is trying to “trade her way through” a costly council approval process by encouraging community bookings.
The Nambour studio has infrared saunas, magnesium spas, compression therapy & ice baths, services Charly says help people build physical resilience & emotional strength.