Point Lookout surf club plans: North Straddie’s radical resort plans hinge on traditional owner backing

It has the backing of influential tourism tycoons and clubbies, but Australia’s first surf lifesaving resort planned for North Stradbroke Island faces another challenge, writes Des Houghton.

Australia’s first surf lifesaving resort hotel planned for North Stradbroke Island has the backing of clubmembers, influential tourism tycoons and many traditional owners, writes Des Houghton.

Australia’s first surf lifesaving resort hotel planned for North Stradbroke Island has the backing of club members, influential tourism tycoons and many traditional owners.

Ophthalmologist Andrew Laming, a former federal MP, told me he will support plans for a boutique hotel incorporating a new Point Lookout surf club if he is elected Mayor of Redland City in next Saturday’s council elections.

“My policy is to turn the surf club into a boutique five-star international hotel,” he said.

“The surf club is falling apart with concrete cancer. I hope it becomes our first surf lifesaving hotel.

“It has to be ready by the 2032 Olympics to showcase not only the island’s extraordinary natural beauty with pure water spring-fed lakes and marvellous beaches, but our Indigenous reconciliation efforts as well.’’

Andrew Laming says he will support plans for a boutique hotel incorporating a new Point Lookout surf club if he is elected Mayor of Redland City.

He believes the project will deliver employment and training opportunities for Quandamooka people who enjoy native title over large swathes of land and sea on and around North Stradbroke and Moreton Islands. “It could employ the entire island,” Laming said.

“It has to be a low-impact, architectural masterpiece (with) stunning design and say 50 rooms.”

Operated by Indigenous Australians, the hotel would focus national and international attention on the island paradise, he said.

And a surf hotel would be the incubator for other tourism facilities such as motels and restaurants and transport operators. And businesses to provide goods and services would also be needed. I’m told there are two potential developers waiting in the wings. Spicers Retreats founder Jude Turner, the wife of Skroo Turner, the proprietor of Flight Centre, had inspected the site. Another potential developer said the resort and surf club could be called Minjerribah, the traditional owners’ name for North Stradbroke.

Flight Centre chief Graham Turner pictured with his wife Jude Turner, who is reportedly interested. Picture: David Clark

Laming said it took just 25 minutes by boat from Cleveland on the mainland to get to Dunwich on the island.

North Stradbroke, or Minjerribah, was Brisbane’s best kept secret, he said.

Sean Fallon, a long-time president and now vice-president of the Point Lookout surf club, agrees.

The club boasts what have been described as Australia’s best ocean views.

And while the club has no formal restaurant, a cold beer and a bucket of prawns awaits tourists at the bar, he said.

The club has a proud record of saving hundreds, if not thousands of people swept to sea. And members provide an emergency rescue service for vehicles bogged in the sand. The clubbies patrol Cylinder beach and Main Beach and are often called to assist in rescues at four of five other smaller beaches on the island.

Travellers may rent surf club bunk beds for as little as $10 a night.

Fallon said the surf club had a lease that ran until 2032. However, the building was decaying because salt water and beach sand were used in the cement mix during construction in 1947. This has promoted concrete cancer. The club regularly faces hefty repair bills.

Fallon said club members in consultation with Indigenous owners and state and national surf lifesaving officials had some tough decisions ahead.

Laming said potential developers had to understand any redevelopment would have to win support from the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC).

QYAC is the body corporate created in 2011 under the Native Title Act to manage the rights and interests of the Quandamooka People who have native title over 54,000ha of land and sea on and around Minjerribah. The corporation is also the joint manager, with the State Government, of the Naree Budjong Djara National Park on the island and has received around $40m in government funding.

QYAC’s new chairman Cameron Costello, a lawyer and a former chief executive, has signalled support of new ventures on the island to benefit the Quandamooka people. However Costello has arrived just as federal regulators move to make the corporation’s financial reporting more accountable.

The corporation’s stated goals are to protect Quandamooka “knowledge” while helping the Indigenous become self-sufficient with sustainable projects.

It is no secret that some Indigenous interest groups can be hostile to new developments. This became evident with many Indigenous locals opposing the proposed whale watching centre on Point Lookout. The protesters appeared spurred on by many non-Indigenous green activists campaigning behind the scenes.

Costello backed the establishment of Indigenous whale watching safaris departing Raby Bay by boat to North Stradbroke.

North Stradbroke Island is considered one of Queensland’s best kept secrets.

Fallon and Laming hope a surf club hotel joint venture with QYAC with the backing of Redlands City Council and State Government environmental regulators could be significant step towards reconciliation.

Fallon said the club already is a surf safety training centre for groups from as far away as Canada. A new club could become an international training centre for the global surf lifesaving movement.

The lifesaving movement was aware of the political and environmental hurdles facing the project, Fallon said.

The State Government, Redland City Council and QYAC now face the threat that the surf club will have to be dissolved and that there will be no beach patrols if rebuilding plans remain unresolved when the lease expires.

Costello has more pressing problems. QYAC has fallen foul of federal government regulators for failing to file financial reports.

The QYAC has been threatened with a referral to federal prosecutors by Tricia Stroud, the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations.

Said Stroud: “As at today, (March 5) the QYAC is not up to date with its reporting obligations under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act.

“The corporation is yet to lodge its financial report for 2022–23 which was due by 31 December 2023. However, I expect that the corporation will very soon lodge its overdue financial report as it is required to present it to members at their AGM which I understand has been called for 15 March.’’

She added: “Annual reporting is a fundamental form of accountability to corporation members, the community, and other stakeholders. Corporations have six months to lodge their reports and will only be granted extensions where there are extenuating circumstances.

“Every corporation that fails to meet its reporting obligations is at risk of referral to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for prosecution.”

Stroud warned the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations had commenced “a short-listing process for referrals to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions as part of our 2024 enforcement action”.

QYAC did not return calls.