Rotto marina ready to take off
The State Government has started its search for a builder-operator of a new marina at Rottnest.
As a trade-off, the selected proponent will get access to prime beach land on Thomson Bay to develop short-stay holiday units and, potentially, a restaurant and charter or cruise operations.
Expressions of interest will be sought from tomorrow, with government authorities hoping to identify a prospective builder-operator by the end of the year.
The marina will be developed on the site of the army jetty in Thomson Bay and include about 250 pens. Land immediately north of the jetty will be made available for between 100 and 150 holiday units.
The marina plans are in line with the Rottnest Island Authority’s 20-year strategy.
The strategy advocates private operators taking over half the island’s accommodation.
Tourism Minister Kim Hames believes the new marina will provide much safer moorings for boaties.
“The marina will not only provide protected moorings for larger craft but will ensure those with small to medium boats have a safe space that will allow direct access to a jetty for families and belongings,” he said yesterday.
Dr Hames said the project’s scale and diversity were expected to attract interest from resort hotel groups, as well as from marina developers and operators.
Under the strategy’s guidelines, the new holiday units will need to be “low scale”, built to a maximum two levels.
The strategy says there is potential for a three-storey building “to mark the marina entry”.
It is believed the marina will cater for boats up to 25m. The expressions of interest period closes on September 18.
The marina accommodation plans come after the RIA revealed it was negotiating with two groups for the construction of a five-star hotel on the controversial Mt Herschel site, on the northern side of the holiday island.
In another boost to island accommodation, a heads of agreement was signed earlier this year to allow the Rottnest Lodge to be virtually rebuilt on nearly 5ha around one of the island’s salt lakes as part of a $20 million plan.
Source: The West Australian, Kent Acott, 11th August 2015
Originally published as: Rotto marina ready to take off
