Twiggy Forrest given green light to build $85 million eco-resort
Andrew Forrest has been given the all clear to build his $85 million eco-resort along the heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast.
The two-year assessment process by the Environmental Protection Authority is now complete, with Environment Minister Reece Whitby approving the billionaire’s green resort plan.
Strict criteria will have to be met that limits the impact on critical turtle nesting habitat and Aboriginal heritage sites.
Conditions will include the use of specialised lighting to reduce emissions from the site and impacts on the turtle hatchlings.
The EPA put Forrest’s plans under extreme scrutiny to gauge the impact.
The hospitality arm of Forrest’s investment vehicle Tattarang, Z1Z Resorts, will look to clear four hectares of the caravan park north of Exmouth. The finished resort will consist of eco tents, villas, hotel rooms and lodges powered exclusively by renewables.
It will accommodate 550 guests and include staff accommodation, restaurants, a spa, tennis courts and a shop.
As par of its eco focus, there will be infrastructure for the treatment and reuse of wastewater.
Z1Z also plans to refurbish the heritage-listed Vlamingh Head Lighthouse Quarters.
More than 120 local jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase. The resort is expected to generate more than $30 million for the town annually.
A three-week appeal process is in play before a final decision is made.
Forrest is also planning to refurbish the beachfront Indiana Teahouse in Cottesloe: his development company Fiveight is looking to add a fine dining and a rooftop pool to the teahouse and build a 31-room boutique hotel behind it.
Irit Jackson, 5th April 2023
