Revealed: $100 million burst of development set to change luxury Coast region

The owner of a golf resort has teed up a $100 million-plus burst of development intended to make the property the premium lifestyle and leisure destination on the Gold Coast’s booming North Shore. ALL THE DETAILS >>>

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THE owner of the Links Hope Island golf resort has teed up a $100 million-plus burst of development intended to make the property the premium lifestyle and leisure destination on the Gold Coast’s booming North Shore.

The plans of GH Australia, an arm of the Golden Horse group, include and eight-level building with 111 upmarket apartments and a start on the resort’s long-promised boutique hotel.

Also to be delivered in the staged three-year program will be wellness and fitness centres, a large resort-style pool, a jacuzzi and relaxation lounge.

Hope Island Resort's Links clubhouse. Picture: supplied

The GH plans include a major upgrade and remodelling of the clubhouse intended to cement its position as the social and leisure hub of the resort’s community.

The company has just completed a new driving range on the former ninth hole and created a replacement hole.

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Four years ago GH unveiled plans for a $60 million, 150-room five-star hotel but put the project on hold to concentrate on The Gallery home-lot estate at the end of the former driving-range’s lake.

A spokesperson on Friday said the hotel had been scaled back to a 44-room one that would be built on the southern side of the club and utilise the clubhouse food and beverage services.

The Golden Horse group, set up in Hong Kong in 1989 and with experience in delivering high-end residential and recreational developments in China, has owned the Links Hope Island golf course and surrounding development land since late 2013.

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It bought the Links on the heels of buying the Noosa Springs golf and spa and also has Park Sydney, a masterplanned community in Erskineville.

The original Hope Island Resort masterplan was drawn up in the mid-80s when Japanese company Shinko was embarking on the project.

GH Australia yesterday said the plan had been refined over a last few years in consultation with community representatives and stakeholders.

It said it had substantially reduced the number of apartments and building bulk detailed in its earlier schemes in response to feedback from the community.

The company is seeking an amendment to the planning scheme to allow the eight-storey apartment building.

“The integrated development and restructuring outcome is essential to establish a financially viable framework for the golf course and clubhouse.”

GH intends installing a branded operator to manage ‘revitalised’ Links golf and wellbeing facilities and to provide services to occupiers of the luxury apartments.

“Our development masterplan will deliver a sustainable future for the golf and wellbeing businesses, while creating a vibrant, activity-based residential-resort precinct,” said Ellen Guan, a director of GH, yesterday.

“We also are confident it will be the best outcome for the Links members and residents of the Hope Island Resort.

“In all our development projects, we want to create world-class wellness and leisure destinations.

“Our master plan, and the changes to the planning scheme we are proposing, align with this philosophy and meet the needs of an emerging market with an interest in making health and wellbeing an important part of their lifestyle.