Resort on Great Keppel Island to be redeveloped after being shut from 2008

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Tourism bodies in central Queensland are happy that Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart has made an agreement to potentially redevelop the resort on Great Keppel Island.

The once iconic resort off the central coast of Queensland had shut in 2008, with several false starts from companies trying to bring it back to life.

Ms Rinehart’s company Hancock Prospecting said that plans have started to obtain the development project from its current lease holder, Sydney-based developer Tower Holdings.

“We hope to be able to make it better than it has ever been, with a world-class, year-round beach club, sandy bars, shopping, and more experiences circling around a marina modelled after successful marinas like Puerto Banus,” said a company statement.

The deal is still in its nascent stages and is subject to approval of the local and state government.

Ross O’Reilly, the Great Keppel Island Progress Association president, said that it is indeed good news, although finer details of the proposal are yet to be known.

“I think there’s been that many starts, and nothing has happened, that everybody is kind of sitting back saying ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’,” Mr. O’Reilly said.

Chief executive Mary Carroll said that after months of speculation, it is great to hear the confirmation of the news.

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