Sod turn for Keppel Bay Sailing Club Conference Centre in Yeppoon
With a raft of nearby luxury housing developments already underway, work is now beginning on a multimillion sailing club tipped to become the best of its kind in Queensland. VIDEO, PHOTOS.
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Work is underway on the new Keppel Bay Sailing Club Conference Centre on the Yeppoon foreshore, with the first sod turned on Thursday.
The Keppel Bay Sailing Club Conference Centre has been in the works for years, with Capricornia MP Michelle Landry securing $20 million in funding under the Community Development Grants Program in 2021.
A development application was submitted by Gideon Town Planning to Livingstone Shire Council in August 2022 with a proposal to redevelop the site and construct a new three-storey clubhouse with a gross floor area of 1911 sqm.
The application was approved by the council on December 15 and the previous club was demolished earlier in 2023.
Yeppoon-based architect Brian Hooper was appointed as the project manager for the development and Paynters were appointed as contractor, with construction works understood to have started at the end of March.
Ms Landry said work was underway, with construction of the new clubhouse to be completed by June next year.
“This is great for local jobs,” she said.
“It’s going to be an iconic building.
“I just think this is a boon for the whole community.”
Keppel Bay Sailing Club general manager Mal Cochrane said the new clubhouse would be a state-of-the-art hospitality business combined with providing the best sailing facilities in the state.
“The best thing about this is we are able to honour the traditions of the sailing club and still move towards some of the best kitchens, dining rooms, function areas that can be converted into large convention areas,” Mr Cochrane said.
“It’s going to be a premium place to be in Yeppoon to dine and look out to sea.
“At this stage we are on track and hopefully this time next year we will be in there.”
Capricorn Enterprise chief executive officer Mary Carroll said to have a convention centre on the Capricorn Coast was a massive boost for the economy.
“Having a business facility on the Capricorn Coast to attract people here for conferences and sporting events gives us that extra opportunity to further promote this destination,” Ms Carroll said.
“We want to start selling conferences to come here now while it is in the construction phase.”
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