First step towards new 16-storey Hervey Bay development gets tick
Just weeks after approving an 18-storey Sheraton at Hervey Bay, the council has today given a green light which could bring another hotel giant to the city.
Business
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The sale of a $5m block of land owned by the council is set to be the first step in bringing a 16-storey residential apartment complex and a 10-storey hotel with a wellness centre and food and retail precinct to the region.
A motion on the matter came before Wednesday’s council meeting, with Councillor Lachlan Cosgrove successfully moving an amendment requiring a report to come back before the council confirming the final details of the development before the contract is signed.
The proposal to sell the land passed 9-1, with Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour voting against the motion.
Acting Fraser Coast Regional Council CEO Gerard Carlyon said the council had sought expressions of interest to buy and develop the council-owned land at 7-19 Hillyard St in Pialba, across from Seafront Oval, and on Wednesday accepted a $5m tender from HBC Build Australia, subject to conditions.
The project will still need to go through the development application process and be assessed by the council.
“Council bought land in Hillyard St in Pialba in 2019 for $3.4m as a potential site for a new administration centre but subsequently decided to co-locate the new administration centre with a new library on the corner of Main St and Torquay Rd,” he said.
“The Hillyard St land is in a strategically important location, which is why council sought proposals for the site that would help revitalise the Hervey Bay City Centre, leverage the benefits that flow from the new council building and deliver on the 20-year master plan for the area.”
HBC Build Australia proposes building a 10-storey Radisson Hotel with 152 rooms and a 16-storey Sunlife over-50s complex with 150 apartments, along with a wellness centre, multipurpose conference room, restaurant and bar, and food and retail precinct.
Mr Carlyon said council would seek to negotiate a development lease agreement with HBC Build, under which council would still own the land until the contract conditions were met.
“This is the first of several steps before a land transfer can take place, and the hotel and apartment complex proposal will still need to go through the development application process and be assessed by council,” he said.
“Council short-listed three tenderers and HBC Build Australia demonstrated a thorough understanding of the project and a capability and readiness to deliver.
“This is an important parcel of land, and we want it developed in a way that provides maximum social and economic benefits for the Fraser Coast.
“A revitalised city centre will ensure Hervey Bay has a flourishing local economy and can compete at a state and national level for new business and industry, tourism expenditure and skilled workers.
“A key objective of council’s corporate plan is to encourage business and investment to grow a diversified economy, and that’s what we are looking to achieve with the sale of this land.”
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Plans to build an 18-storey Sheraton resort in Hervey Bay are up in the air with a conservation group fighting to stop it in its tracks, saying its excessive height will have a major impact on the environment.