Workers wait outside Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba for tools

The future of Clive Palmer’s $100m renovation to his mothballed resort remains unclear, as sacked tradies are being photographed while being escorted on-site to collect tools.

Tradies are collecting their tools from a Sunshine Coast resort under a police escort after termination letters went out this week.

The tradesmen are waiting outside the gates of the Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba to collect their tools under a police escort today, August 10.

Two Sunshine Coast tradesmen, who declined to be named, said they received termination letters on Tuesday night and then a letter offering to reapply for their position.

It is understood up to 150 construction workers have been locked out of the Yaroomba resort site and that other roles including human resources were also affected.

Workers are waiting to pick up their tools outside the gates of the Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba.

On Thursday morning police were escorting some workers on site to collect their tools.

Some tradesmen have said they would not reapply for their jobs.

In response to questions on the termination letters and the tradie lockout, a spokesman for Mr Palmer replied, “not true”.

On Wednesday the spokesman said that talk of terminations and a potential sale were “not true” and that it was a “storm in a tea-cup”.

“The resort will reopen later this year or early next year,” he said.

Workers are waiting to pick up their tools outside the gates of the Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba.

Mr Palmer announced the $100m refurbishment of the resort in 2021 after he closed the resort in 2015.

Pomona tradesman Rod Kosovich said the construction workers were given a new roster.

“We came in on Tuesday and confronted the management with regards to the new roster saying there was no consultation process and we felt that it was unfair,” he said.

He said the site was then closed and then that night, on Tuesday, August 8, they were sent termination notices.

The tradesman said “at least” $100,000 worth of tools were still inside the gates.

Pomona tradesman Rod Kosovich was one of the workers at Palmer Coolum Resort to receive a termination letter this week.

“We’re basically being led in one by one,” he said.

The tradesman said there was “no work” being done on the construction site.

“We just got taken into where we used to store the tools and I picked them up and they (Mr Palmer’s staff) took a photo of me with my tools and escorted back out,” Mr Kosovich said.

According to workers waiting outside on Thursday anyone inside the site was maintenance crew.

Machinery was empty and unused on the Warrack St side of the resort about 11.30am.

There was no one working in villas.

The golf course, however, inside the resort was open with buggies and golfers making their rounds.

A termination letter – sighted by this publication – stated the termination was due to staff not abiding by new shift hours.

The letter also stated a fraud, theft and dishonesty investigation was underway.

Mystery surrounds the future of Clive Palmer’s $100m renovation at his Palmer Coolum Resort at Yaroomba.

The tradesmen have claimed that the fraud, theft and dishonesty investigation did not have anything to do with the workers, and they deny any wrongdoing.

The reapplication letter was sent to some workers about 20 minutes later.

Some are still in the dark over the situation with a couple of tradesmen locked out despite not having received a termination letter.

Mr Kosovich said he was “upset for the guys with mortgages and kids” who had been sacked.

“It must be a real struggle for them,” he said.

The process of the tool pick-up is expected to take all day.

Development applications were lodged for a car museum with almost 900 vehicles at Palmer Coolum Resort at Yaroomba.

When the project was announced in 2021 Mr Palmer said stage one was anticipated to open in the second half of 2022.

The redevelopment was touted to include include replicas of the Wonders of the World and famous landmarks including a full-size Trevi Fountain as well as a vintage car museum.

They said about 300 premium, two and three bedroom apartments would be refurbished and the upgrade would also include seven restaurants.

Originally published as Workers wait outside Palmer Coolum Resort in Yaroomba for tools