Livingstone Mayor, Keppel MP delay departure for Japan due to Cyclone Alfred

Plans to meet with Japanese businessmen in a bid to reignite stalled redevelopment plans for the dilapidated Capricorn Resort have been postponed due to Cyclone Alfred.

Livingstone Mayor Adam Belot

Plans to meet with Japanese businessmen in a bid to reignite stalled redevelopment plans for the dilapidated Capricorn Resort have been postponed due to Cyclone Alfred.

Livingstone Mayor Adam Belot and Keppel MP Nigel Hutton announced their decision to postpone the scheduled international advocacy trip late yesterday as the threat of Cyclone Alfred impacting the region.

“We remain committed to fostering investment and economic growth through strong international partnerships, but with timing of our departure being Saturday 1 March, it was becoming clear this was a decision that needed to be made,” Mr Belot said last night.

“The immediate priority is ensuring our community is well-prepared and supported as we face the potential impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.”

Mr Belot and Mr Hutton were to meet with Mr Yoshitaro Iwasaki about the Capricorn Resort which was once a vibrant holiday resort.

Capricorn Resort owner Yoshitaro Iwasaki

The massive 331 room tourism attraction has fallen into a state of decay since it was almost completely shut down nearly a decade ago with the loss of 300 jobs.

The delegation will also visit China to meet with the Yuexing Group, the owners of the Great Barrier Reef Resort at Zilze, which has also been left dormant and run down since it closed in 2014.

Photos of the abandoned Capricorn Resort near Yeppoon.

“Since announcing our intention to travel to Japan, we have already seen a tightening of our bonds in our relationships with Mr Iwasaki and Mr Ding through our online discussions with both parties and Trade and Investment Queensland,” Mr Hutton said.

“We have a shared aspiration for visits to Australia and our business community are reaching out to partner and work with both parties.

Capricorn Resort Yeppoon Pool Main in operational days.

“Our communications, and our willingness to show respect by reaching out to them thus far have gone a long way to strengthen relations between our international landowners.

“However, right now, our focus is the next few days.”

Council will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as required. Further details regarding the rescheduling of the advocacy trip will be announced in due course.

Council will continue to provide regular updates on TC Alfred through its official communication channels, including the Livingstone Shire Council Facebook page l and the Disaster Dashboard.