$4m of $30m State Government tranche spent on GKI so far

Tourism Industry Development and Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe replied on May 21 to a Question on Notice about the spending.

Roughly $4 million of the State Government’s $30 million has been spent on Great Keppel Island so far.

About $4 million dollars of the State Government’s promised $30 million has been spent on Great Keppel Island so far.

Tourism Industry Development and Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe replied on May 21 to a question on notice from LNP leader David Crisafulli about the spending.

Mr Crisafulli asked for a breakdown of spending on the island, including how much had been spent on government staff, infrastructure and Rockhampton or Capricorn Coast businesses.

Mr Hinchcliffe replied: “The need for greater certainty on private sector plans to redevelop the resort leases has delayed expenditure on island infrastructure development, however, the Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport has progressed investigations into infrastructure options that will support tourism development on Great Keppel Island.”

Tourism Industry Development and Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.

He broke down GKI expenditure as follows:

• $452,000 in 2017-18 of which $3601 was on Queensland Government staff travel, accommodation and hospitality, and $14,116 spent with local businesses
• $2,602,000 in 2018-19 of which $6250 was on Queensland Government staff travel, accommodation and hospitality, and $96,599 spent with local businesses
• $781,000 in 2019-20 of which $666 was on Queensland Government staff travel, accommodation and hospitality, and $12,447 spent with local businesses
• $176,754 to date in 2020-21 of which $2180 was on Queensland Government staff travel, accommodation and hospitality, and $563 spent with local businesses

He said other costs were commercial in confidence.

A meeting of the GKI Progress Association in February.

The GKI Progress Association said it was “disappointing” that only 3 per cent was spent locally.

Its president, Ross O’Reilly, said the group would make a submission to the government’s Tourism Industry Reference Panel expressing its support for a resort and associated infrastructure on GKI.

A spokesman for Mr Hinchcliffe said the department had spent with Central Queensland businesses where possible.

“The funding not spent locally was spent elsewhere in Queensland and relates to highly specialised work for which there were no tenders received from Capricornia businesses,” he said.

Mr Crisafulli also requested Mr Hinchcliffe provide a list of work undertaken as part of a $4.9 million 2020-21 budget allocation to a “Great Keppel Island recovery package”, and how much had been spent on that project so far.

Mr Hinchcliffe’s answer is due on June 24.