REVEALED: New cinema approved for Gladstone

Along with eight screening rooms, it will include a foyer, games room, amenities, lounge, bar, candy bar and ticketing area.

Gladstone residents will soon be able to enjoy a movie at a bigger and fresher location now that the council has approved a new entertainment complex at Barney Point.

Gladstone Cinemas will build its new theatre at the Yaralla Sports Club site, with the existing fitness centre to remain.

The new cinema will have eight rooms, including two gold class, and will be able to seat up to 468 patrons.

It will include a foyer, games room, amenities, lounge, bar, candy bar and ticketing area.

Hours of operation will be 9am to 1am Monday to Sunday.

The existing cinema intends to relocate to the new facility from its existing site in the Gladstone Central Shopping Centre, according to the Gladstone Regional Council's report.

It's understood the old cinema will be demolished.

The proposal was brought to the council's ordinary meeting on June 1, after a previous attempt to approve the new facility was quashed by the existing site's landlords in court last year.

Two properly made submissions were made against the development, with concerns about conflict with the planning scheme, inconsistent use with the sports zone and the lack of need for another cinema.

But councillor Darryl Branthwaite said while there might be things that went against the application, there were many things that went towards it.

"It's really important that this council do proactively engage and revitalise these areas, and this is one major way of doing that," he said.

Councillor Glenn Churchill said the Yaralla Sports Club had been on a journey since the 1990s with its development program.

"This will be great for Barney Point, this will be great for Toolooa, this will be great for South Gladstone, and I understand the requirements are now in the assessment and also the recommendation," he said.

"We need to do whatever we possibly can to help these proponents make this plan and their dream come true, as part of the continued development of that site and the destination."

All councillors voted in favour of approving the new cinema development.

The council also voted to reject a proposal for a variation request to increase accommodation at Yaralla.

The reasons given in the report included a lack of demand for more short-term accommodation in town, a number of details not being demonstrated or planned, and conflicts with the Planning Scheme.

Originally published as REVEALED: New cinema approved for Gladstone