Kangaroo Bay courted in Chinese deal for new hospitality training school and hotel

TASMANIA is set to partner with a major Chinese company for a new $45 million hospitality training school and hotel on the Eastern Shore.

Kangaroo courted in Chinese deal

TASMANIA is set to partner with a major Chinese company for a new $45 million hospitality training school and hotel on the Eastern Shore.

Premier Will Hodgman will today witness the signing of an agreement between Chambroad and TasTAFE to work on developing the training facility at Kangaroo Bay as part of the State Government’s trade mission to China.

The deal also involves Chambroad — a Shandong Province company which operates a number of training colleges with about 30,000 students — partnering with architect Robert Morris-Nunn’s firm Hunter Developments on plans for a new four- to five-star hotel on the site, linking with the school, which would provide vital training for the booming hospitality sector.

“The hospitality training school would provide Tasmania with a high-end, contemporary training facility that will help open the doors to Tasmanians looking for a future in our tourism and hospitality sectors and also enhance Tasmania’s growing reputation as a destination of choice for international students,” Premier Will Hodgman said.

The Kangaroo Bay precinct between Rosny College and the Bellerive Yacht Club will eventually encompass transport, shopping and tourism precincts, as part of the Clarence City Council’s EOI process for the site.

Mr Morris-Nunn said a ferry terminal was also part of his vision for the site.

The head of Chambroad visited Tasmania in 2014 as part of TasInvest and, in April 2015, signed an MOU with TasTAFE to pursue training opportunities in Tasmania.

Mr Morris-Nunn said he anticipated the Chinese partners would be actively involved in the design.

He said the training facility would be integral to the hotel and he was looking to designs of similar co-use spaces overseas.

“We’ve never personally been involved in one and I think it’s great for the state that the training aspect happens,” Mr Morris-Nunn said.

“It’s far better than individual organisations doing things alone and it will mean there’s better trained people out working in the industry.”

A separate 100-bed hotel and tourism precinct at Rosny Hill is also being proposed by Mr Morris-Nunn, which he said would complement the new plans.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association general manager Steve Old said it was an exciting opportunity for growth in one of Tasmania’s key employment industries.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for our industry and hopefully it’s going to go a long way to meet some of the shortages in our workforce going forward,” he said.

“It’s a fresh chance to reinvigorate our industry and we’d like to use our experience and knowledge to be involved in the design.”

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said it was a recognised best-practice training structure.

“This model of a training school or institute connected to a hotel is something that will always present opportunities in Tasmania,” he said.

“It’s tailored training, it’s high-level training, it’s just the kind of thing we’re well suited for.”

Clarence City Council Mayor Doug Chipman said it appeared an interesting proposal and he looked forward to seeing more detail before the council made a final decision.

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