The Tangalooma Island Resort has come on the market for the first time in more than 35 years

Gorgeous beaches, dolphins and wrecks have lured generations of holiday makers to Tangalooma. Now the family behind the island resort have put it up for sale.

The wrecks off Tangalooma Island Resort are a major tourist attraction.

TANGALOOMA SALE

THE Tangalooma Island Resort off Brisbane has come on the market for the first time in more than 35 years.

Owner Brian Osborne and his family launched a sales campaign this week for the iconic complex on Moreton Island, where gorgeous beaches, dolphins and wrecks have lured generations of holiday makers.

Built in the 1970s, the resort is understood to turn over about $52 million a year and employ more than 300 staff.

Osborne, a 76-year-old former plasterer turned property developer, used to go camping on the island and liked it so much he bought the perpetual lease for the resort in the early 1980s.

Now residing in a million dollar-plus riverfront pad at Hamilton, Osborne could not be contacted yesterday so we’re not clear why he has decided to up stumps now.

Savills agent Michael Simpson declined to comment about the expressions-of- interest campaign, which closes June 22 and includes a ferry terminal at Pinkenba and associated marine operations on the island.

But his marketing spiel describes the property as “Australia’s largest eco-friendly resort with development upside’’.

It touts the business as a “highly profitable operation with diversified income streams’’.

Earlier this year, a number of residents on the island claimed the resort had slugged them with huge increases in their annual fees for basic services such as power, roads and waste removal.

They allege the resort’s power to impose price hikes over the past 10 years is largely to blame for a sharp drop in the resale value of properties.

SIGN OF UBER TIMES

YOU might call it a sign of the Uber times now that both of Brisbane’s cab companies have been sold.

News emerged this week that Black and White’s biggest stakeholder and MD, Greg Webb, had sealed an $8.1 million deal for the taxi group’s booking service to be acquired by Melbourne-based P2P Transport.

Sweetening the agreement is an additional $12 million “earn out’’ payment if performance targets are reached over the next two years.

The deal follows P2P’s acquisition in November of Black and White’s 1400 cabs and related operating assets such as body shops for $8.5 million. There’s also an extra $1 million in “earn out’’ potential over the course of a year.

Webb, who controls 26 per cent of the business and will join the P2P board, told City Beat yesterday that he still has plenty of skin in the game.

Half the sale price will comprise P2P shares and Webb, along with three other company bigshots, plans to retain 48 taxi licences.

The tie-up with P2P will help build a national presence for Black and White along the east coast while keeping costs down thanks to improved scale and buying power, he said.

Webb told us that plenty of rideshare drivers are now returning to taxis as they face increased expenses from new regulations and fees, along with depreciation and running costs for their own vehicles.

P2P, which claims to be one of Australia’s biggest fleet management business, floated in December after raising nearly $30 million from investors.

It suffered a $25.9 million statutory net loss in the half year to December.

Webb’s move follows Neill Ford’s decision last year to offload his Yellow Cabs business to Cabcharge for $20 million.

FIGHTING A KILLER

JEFF Maclean’s dad passed away from incurable motor neurone disease 12 years ago but his determination to fight the wicked killer hasn’t faltered since then.

The Index Group boss will be holding court again on Saturday at the Gold Coast Turf Club for his annual fundraiser to benefit the Queensland Brain Institute at UQ.

A crowd of more than 300 is expected for the annual event, including plenty of corporate types.

Among those on the guest list are Hopgood Ganim legal eagles Bruce Humphrys and James Bottomley, along with Trojan Securities boss Troy Harry, BDGT Precision Engineering chief David Haddock and Euromarque luxury car dealer Scott Newland.

Maclean hopes to raise about $45,000 on the day and tells us he’s generated more than $1 million since 2004.

Sweetening the event will be celebrations for his mum’s 90th birthday.

There’s even an 1100m race named after her, the “Happy 90th Daphne Fillies and Mares Maiden Handicap’’.

Maclean’s father, Ross, launched Index Group in Brisbane in 1966 and it’s still building, renting, selling and buying industrial properties.