JUST IN: Council announces official airport hotel approval

COUNCIL have announced a 139-bedroom hotel in the Bundaberg Airport Precinct has been approved.

PLACE TO STAY: The new hotel planned near the Bundaberg Airport. Picture: Contributed

UPDATE 1PM: IN A statement issued at 1pm, council have announced the hotel development has been given the green light.

The council said accommodation was on the rise in Bundaberg following the development approval for a seven storey airport hotel next to Brothers Sports Club.

The combined application was for a material change of use for short term accommodation and café and reconfiguring a lot for a lease term exceeding 10 years.

Planning and Development spokesman Ross Sommerfeld welcomed the approval which he said would address a need for more accommodation options close to the Bundaberg CBD and airport.

"Council recently conducted a short term accommodation demand study which identified a significant shortage in the number of beds available," Cr Sommerfeld said.

"Tourism is one of the region's key industries and one we are looking to grow, but to do that there needs to first be an increase in available short term accommodation.

"This modern facility will feature 143 bedrooms and is well positioned to cater to visitors who are flying to and from our region.

"The airport hotel, which the applicant has suggested will be branded Ramada Wyndham, will have a relationship with the Brothers Sports Club however the two facilities will be operated independently.

"It will be the first significant multi-storey accommodation built in Bundaberg for more than 20 years."

The application was lodged over two sites on Takalvan Street and Childers Road totalling 255.54ha.

The seven storey airport hotel will feature a 330m frontage to Takalvan Street, two boardrooms and an outdoor area and gardens.

The main development will be located on a portion of the site currently used by the Brothers Sports Club for car parking and bowling greens.

"The hotel will co-locate with Brothers Sports Club activities with a lease arrangement being entered in to over the development footprint."

Lodged on behalf of developer H105 Pty Ltd, InsiteSJC town planner Shane Booth said they were proud to be part of the project.

"We are excited to be able to deliver the first significantly sized accommodation in the last 20 years," Mr Booth said.

"We are hoping it will bring further development at the airport and more flights for locals to be able to travel out to other places."

Mr Booth said the development would provide a boost for the economy and encourage travel to the city.

"With the number of rooms and location of the hotel, it's right at the entry of town and close to the airport... hopefully it will drive the tourism market," he said.

"People will have the option to fly in, spend a day or two, and have easy access to short-term accommodation. We definitely think it will drive tourism and the short-term stay market.

"We've worked pretty closely with council over the past 18 months to get this project to delivery and they have been quite helpful."

UPDATE 9.50AM: BUNDABERG Regional Council have said an admin error has caused the airport hotel development application to show as approved on its PD online site when it is still pending approval.

A council spokesman issued a short statement to the NewsMail.

"We discovered there was an administration error in the planning department," he said.

"The application is pending approval."

The NewsMail is seeking further clarification on how the administration error occurred as it clearly has the application still showing as approved.

APPROVED: Bundaberg Regional Council's PD online site shows the hotel development application, located on the corner of 2 Childers Rd and 130 Takalvan St, Kensington, as approved.

EARLIER: AN APPLICATION for a 139-bedroom hotel has been approved for the Bundaberg Airport Precinct.

According to council's PD online, the airport hotel was approved yesterday.

Artist impression. Picture: Insite SJC

The seven-storey hotel and cafe development was lodged by Insite SJC in December last year for a vacant block of land at 130 Takalvan St and Airport Drive, Kensington.

The hotel would sit beside the Brothers Sports Club, the owners of which (Stronghold Investment Services) would retain possession of the site.

The CEO of project manager Estilo Group, Clifford Olson, told the NewsMail in May that the hotel would be worth between $20m and $25m.

More to come.

Artist impressions. Picture: Insite SJC