Terry wants to change things on Keppel

IT'S been more than 20 years since anything new has been built on Great Keppel Island, but if Terry Agnew has his way, things won't stay that way for long.

IT'S been more than 20 years since anything new has been built on Great Keppel Island, but if Terry Agnew has anything to do with it, things won't stay that way for long.

Revised plans for the redevelopment of Great Keppel Island will be publicly released today, after the State's Co-ordinator-General last week gave the proposed tourism plans “Significant Project Status”- a title which was refused to the original plans because it was considered to have an unacceptable impact on the sensitive environmental qualities of the island.

Mr Agnew said the declaration was a step in the right direction for the project which will now undergo a rigorous Environmental Impact Study process before being presented to State, Federal and local government for approvals.

As Mr Agnew chatted about the revised plans on the island yesterday, the former resort site was sitting in lock-up awaiting demolition - its only guests a family of peacocks.

It was a far cry from Mr Agnew's vision for Great Keppel Island, one he hopes will be the most significant tourism investment ever made in Central Queensland.

“This is a one in 100 year opportunity to create a world-class eco-friendly resort,” he said.

The redevelopment, which is anticipated to create 1400 long-term jobs in the region as well as 410 construction jobs each year for 15 years, will be completed in about ten stages over approximately 15 years with the construction of Stage One to begin as soon as approval is granted.

If the approval process can be completed by mid next year, Tower Holdings hopes to start construction in late 2010, with a view to opening for business mid 2012.

Mr Agnew said Stage One would cost approximately $150 million with the final cost of the entire development estimated at over $1 billion.

“We think this new development will bring a level of tourism enjoyment and excitement to Central Queensland that has never been offered before,” he said.

Stage One is set to include a new 300-room, four-star hotel and day spa on the site of the existing resort, a 200 berth marina on Putney Beach (to be expanded to 560 berths in later stages), a retail village with restaurants, boutiques, dive shops, bakery and a tavern.

It will also include 100 of a planned 400 affordable accommodation villas and significant infrastructure works including roads, water, power, sewerage and recycling.

The project will also include 545 hectares of managed environmental parks, which Mr Agnew says is an area 30 times the size of Rockhampton's Botanic Gardens.

Also proposed is a sporting oval which will be available for local cricket, rugby union, rugby league and soccer teams, a yacht club, a ferry terminal, and a Greg Norman designed championship 18-hole golf course with adjoining accommodation villas and clubhouse.

Mr Agnew said Tower Holdings was also in discussions with Central Queensland University about including a research centre in the early stages of the project.

A contentious issue in the original plans was the proposed removal and rebuilding of an airstrip to allow for commercial jets.

However, in the revised plans, Tower Holdings propose to upgrade the existing airstrip which will allow Dash-8 aircrafts, such as those operated by Qantas-link in Rockhampton, to make direct flights from Brisbane or Cairns.

“We are in discussions with Qantas at the moment about possible flight routes,” Mr Agnew said.

“The average holiday length for Australians is now about three days, so it's important people can get here quickly from other areas.”

The website www.gkiresort.com.au will be launched today where people can look at the new plans and make comment.

“We will be catering for predominantly locals and families and if we can get the community behind the project, they will have this world-class holiday destination right on their doorstep,” Mr Agnew said.

Member for Keppel Paul Hoolihan said he had been briefed on the revised plan and while he was cautious in supporting the project, he still had reservations about how the proposals will be implemented.

He also said the fact the project had been given Significant Project Status did not indicate State Government support.

Originally published as Terry wants to change things on Keppel