Sunshine Coast to get new resort
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast is getting its first resort in three decades.
Japanese developer Sekisui House has won approval for the $900 million five-star Westin Coolum Resort & Spa at Yarroomba Beach.
There has been no high quality resort there since Clive Palmer mothballed the Hyatt Coolum resort in 2015 after he acquired Hyatt’s lease on the property.
Sekisui had put in an application for the re-development of an old golf course at Yarroomba beach last week and the Sunshine Coast Council gave the application the green light.
The re-development will be massive.
Sekisui is looking to build a resort comprising 220 hotel rooms, 148 serviced apartments, 753 apartments, 98 dwelling and a 2770 square metre village with lots of retail outlets.
In addition to that, the resort will house major conference and recreation facilities with Mount Coolum serving as the backdrop.
Work on the 19 hectare site will start soon and Sekisui House expects the development will be completed and ready to open in 2021.
The development has been an ongoing saga in the area and the latest development brings it to an end.
Sekisui House had been faced strong opposition to the development from the council and residents since 2014 and in the end, it was forced to put up an amended planning scheme for the controversial Yaroomba beach front site.
At the same time, the council is aware that the area needs a big tourist development.
According to Sunshine Coast chief executive Simon Latchford, the area north of Brisbane desperately needed new high quality tourism accommodation. This would not only bring in tourists but would also draw big conference crowds
He said the Westin Resort & Spa would incorporate environmental initiatives and Sekisui was prepared to lodge significantly modified plans in response to council and community feedback.
“The new Westin resort will play a fundamental role in attracting domestic and international business to the Sunshine Coast,” Mr Latchford told.
Leon Getler 26th June 2018.
