Whitsunday Regional Council approves Hook Island Eco Resort development plans

The eco resort in the Whitsundays will add a new nature-based experience, including guests using bicycles to generate electricity, to complement the region’s five-star hotels.

A new development on an “abandoned” Whitsunday island will capitalise on the current trend towards sustainable, nature-based tourism experiences.

Whitsunday Regional Council has offered strong support for plans to re-establish Hook Island as a major tourist destination, approving a master plan guiding future development of the island national park along with plans for the first two stages of an eco resort.

Voting unanimously in favour of the plans at their August 11 meeting, councillors agreed now was the perfect time to push an eco-themed attraction to offer visitors to the region a greater range of accommodation options alongside existing five-star island hotels.

There will be five different accommodation styles including camping, glamping, cabins, lodges and villas. Picture: Supplied

Mayor Cr Andrew Willcox was interested to see how developers implemented some of the more unusual sustainability measures proposed, such as guests using bicycles to generate electricity, while Cr Gary Simpson said the eco resort concept was “a step in the right direction”.

Hook Island could become a glamping destination

“Anything ‘eco’ is the flavour of the month, and this [island] has been closed down for so long, it’s a great news story,” Cr Simpson said.

The resort will incorporate a mix of “low impact, light touch” structures such as glamping tents to accommodate a maximum of 280 people at a time, inclusive of day visitors, overnight stays and staff.

The resort will cater to those seeking ‘nature-based’ tourism experiences. Picture: Supplied

Councillors agreed glamping was a particularly good fit for an island with such high “environmental qualities” and for the region in general, which Cr Al Grundy said should “absolutely” be trying to make a name for itself as a glamping destination.

The approved first two stages of the resort will accommodate a maximum of 100 people, including day trippers, in the areas of Stingray Bay and Main Beach, leaving other areas including Headland and Treetops for later development.

The island became a population tourist spot after the opening of an underwater observatory in 1969. Picture: Queensland State Archives

The masterplan does not indicate construction timeframes or costs but its approval remains valid for the next 20 years.

The proponent, Hook Island Eco Resort Pty Ltd, says the resort will re-establish the tourism use of the island which has lain “abandoned and dormant” since the closure of the cyclone-damaged Hook Island Underwater Observatory in 2010.

Originally published as Whitsunday Regional Council approves Hook Island Eco Resort development plans