DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Game changing decision
by council will bring surfing to FNQ Port Douglas Shire Council has approved a 164-room hotel and resort, featuring a wave pool, freshwater swimming lagoon, aqua park, and 90 selfcontained villas and surf cabins on the Captain Cook Highway, south of the Mowbray River. The development, spear-headed by local businesses NorthBreak Developments and Hunt Design, is expected to inject more than $117.5 million worth of wages into the local economy over the construction period. Once operational, Northbreak estimates the resort will create 740 full time jobs, attract 128,680 visitor nights and generate $79.2m in direct expenditure each year. Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said the wave park would be a catalyst for a new era of tourism in Port Douglas and Daintree. “This transformative project will significantly lift summer tourism by creating a world-class surfing experience and year-round swimming option down the road from Port Douglas,” he said. “With no recognised surf breaks in the tropics, Council believes this once-in-a-generation development will attract a wave of new visitors and keep our beautiful pocket of the world at the forefront of travellers’ minds.” “The wave park fits in nicely with our sports tourism focus and is perfectly positioned in the Mowbray Valley to complement the Wangetti Trail development.” Council’s planning team has worked closely with NorthBreak and Hunt Design on the development application since late-2020.
Glenn Piper with his family at Hook Island. Photography: Steven Woodburn
A new eco resort promises a new lease of life for Hook Island Founder and CEO of Meridian Australia, Publican and Director at Harbord Hotel, Glenn Piper has acquired the leasehold Whitsundays’ spectacular Hook Island. The landmark sale will see Piper give the holiday destination, devastated by cyclones in 2011 and 2017, a new lease of life, as he transforms the property into a new world-class eco-lodge, with food and beverage at the heart of the experience. Hook Island, nestled between Hayman Island and Whitsunday Island, is a stunning idyll of lush national park, picturesque bays, secluded beaches, abundant wildlife and pristine fringe reefs. Since the closure of the popular holiday resort Hook Island Lodge in 2013, visitors have been restricted to the reefs around the island enjoying the beauty of the waters.
Now a blank canvas, the expansive 9.3-hectare area with an enviable water frontage and two private beaches property, will be given a new lease of life as a world class eco resort, with a food & beverage experience to rival the best in the world. This will be the only private operation on the island and will welcome the first visitors to the island in a decade. Glenn Piper said: “There’s nothing quite like it. Very few locations in the world can offer this level of natural wonder. I want to create an experience that befits the beauty of the Island, and the Whitsundays - respectfully and sustainably. I’m energised at the thought of creating a world class hospitality experience for this slice of paradise and cannot wait for the first guest to step onto the sand”. Having recently taken on the leasehold of Q Station, which sits on 30 hectares
The applicant has committed to a range of sustainability initiatives such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting and landscaping. NorthBreak is also required to meet their obligations to offset their demands on Council’s water supply and sewer network, as well as contributing towards planned trunk infrastructure to service the Shire. Mayor Kerr said the wave park development would play a vital role in helping the region recover from the economic shocks felt during the COVID-19 pandemic.“A key goal of our 2021-2024 Economic Development Strategy is to expand and diversify our tourism offering, particularly by capitalising on lucrative sports tourism and adventure markets,” he said. “I would like to congratulate the applicants and our planning team for the immense amount of work put into this game-changing project.”
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Hook Island. Image courtesy of Tourism Whitsundays
DEVELOPMENTS
ResortNews | June 2022
