20-storey luxury resort planned for Hervey Bay

The face of Hervey Bay in coastal Queensland could be changed forever, with the relaxed lifestyle and slower pace of life to be challenged by twin skyscrapers.

Construction will no doubt cause debate among those who enjoy the quiet.

"The tricky thing about developer-led development is the precedent it sets," Nicholas Stevens, program coordinator of urban design at the University of Sunshine Coast told the ABC.

"That does open an opportunity for the next development to come and say, 'Hey, they got 20 storeys, we would like 20 storeys as well," Dr Stevens said.

The development is set to be a five-star resort on the Hervey Bay esplanade and would be the largest hotel between Cairns and Brisbane.

The prospective operator of the $400 million development is Sheraton Hotel and Resorts. While plans are pending council approval, it is set to be three times higher than the tallest building currently on the esplanade.

There are more than 200 rooms proposed between two 21-storey towers. It will also feature an artificial reef scuba diving experience.

Tony Davies moved to Hervey Bay from Ipswich 25 years ago in pursuit of a "laidback lifestyle" and has seen a lot of change over that time.

"Maybe I'm being a little selfish, but I want to keep Hervey Bay quiet," said Tony Davies who moved to the area 25 years ago for the quiet lifestyle.

"I sit out here with my wife nearly every day on the esplanade and it's just marvellous.

"I don't want it to go like the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, I want Hervey Bay to be special," he told the ABC.

Dr Stevens said the developer needed to integrate the environment around them.

"The devil will be in the detail … if it is built to boundary, a 21-storey behemoth that has no relation to the community surrounding it, then that's a problem," he said.

"But there are ways you can look for better local integration. Can locals actually be part of the facilities? Are there going to be parks and grounds supporting it as well?

"No is not an answer … 'yes, but how do we make sure it reflects community values?' is the way forward."

The owner of a whale-watching cruise business, Rebecca Greenshields said tourism would be welcome.

"It will bring a lot more people into the region and expose all of us operators to the [customers] as well, so it will bring in more business not just for us, but the restaurants, and cafes, and gift shops in town.

"The only thing that we're a bit concerned about is the height of the buildings," she told the ABC.

Another fear regarding height, is it would take natural light away from the coral reef. Advocates for marine life in the area want buildings to be no higher than the tree line.

The argument from project developer Sunny Beach Land, is the proposed height would bring "world-class amenities".

The development’s viability will be determined in July at the ordinary council meeting.

Jonathan Jackson, 18^th June 2024