Delma Taylor speaks about petition against 21-storey hotel at Hervey Bay

A petition bearing hundreds of signatures has been tabled by the Fraser Coast mayor at a fiery council meeting where a woman leading the charge against a towering Hervey Bay resort has spoken out.

A woman who started a petition against a planned 21-storey skyscraper has told a council meeting the development in its current planned form would stand out “like a wart on a witch’s nose”.

It comes after the developer behind the project revealed exclusive details and expressed confidence it would go head.

Speaking in the public participation section of this week’s council meeting at the Tavistock St chambers Hervey Bay resident and regular lobbyist Delma Taylor said “the development concerns me because it is out of character compared to everything else on our beautiful, unique Esplanade”.

“If it stayed within the council regulations of six to eight storeys, it would be great, but 21 storeys is like a wart on a witch’s nose, it stands out.”

Anti-tower campaigner Delma Taylor at the Fraser Coast Regional Council Chambers on November 22, 2023

“I do not want to stop development, but I want it to blend in with the other buildings in the area.”

The Taylors have a long association with the Fraser Coast region, with the family first arriving at Maryborough via the Mary River around 1860.

This is not the first time Mrs Taylor has gotten involved with activism in the community.

She also recently started a petition against the holding of private functions on the Urangan Pier arguing as a public property it should remain open for all to access freely.

Delma Taylor says the planned 21-storey development on The Esplanade will stand out like “a wart on a witch's nose”.

She said she loved the Esplanade as “people come from all over the world to see its beauty” but was concerned it would lose its “uniqueness” if large-scale projects were approved.

She’s a fixture at the local Pier markets where she’s been encouraging locals to sign her petition.

Presented by Mayor George Seymour, the petition had more than 605 signatures of which 603 were from those living on the Fraser Coast.

A motion to see it referred to council CEO Ken Diehm for consideration was passed unanimously.

Meanwhile, the company behind the history-making resort is also urging locals to support show their support for the project to the council, running sponsored ads on social media and setting up a dedicated Facebook page promoting its role as a tourism drawcard and the 1,100 construction jobs that would be created during construction of the Hervey and 250 ongoing jobs once the hotel is operational.

It also plugs the potential for “nationally recognised” restaurants moving into the entertainment precinct.

A video showing what the hotel would like if approved is also gaining traction online.

More information is available at www.hbhotel.metaluxe.com.au

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