REPAIRS HIT RESORT

Jetty work forces a four-month closure to Green Is guests —

GREEN Island will only be open to day visitors during a four-month closure of the resort next year due to maintenance on the jetty.

Green Island Resort management last night said the noisy and disruptive nature of the planned works from February next year forced the accommodation closure.

A Quicksilver Group spokeswoman said day visitors would have access to all island activities and amenities with lunches available also.

It was hoped as many staff as possible could be moved into alternative jobs during the closure.

“We will accommodate staff for the time; we will try to retain as many staff as we can,” she said.

GREEN Island Resort management hopes to retain as many staff as possible in alternative jobs after a decision was made to close the popular tourist accommodation for more than four months next year.

A spokeswoman from the Quicksilver Group, which owns the resort, said it would close between February 17 and June 28, 2020 due to the noisy and disruptive nature of planned works on the island’s jetty.

First earmarked for an overhaul in April last year, Ports North, which manages the jetty on behalf of the Queensland Government, will begin extensive repairs to the underside of the jetty and pylons early next year.

The spokeswoman stressed only the accommodation would be affected and day visitors would still have access to all the island’s activities and most amenities.

She said general manager Tony Baker was on the island with staff last night.

“We will accommodate staff for the time; we will try to retain as many staff as we can. While the resort is closed, all of our day facilities are still open – we will still be serving lunches,” she said.

“But also, closing the resort means contractors can stay and start work earlier and finish later than otherwise they might have been able to.

“The jetty needs extensive maintenance. The time needed was extraordinary to get it done.”

Mr Baker said the decision was cemented when Ports North conducted a sound test to help resort management understand the impact of the noise emitted from works.

“With the proximity of the jetty to the resort accommodation, we have decided the noise and disruption created at times by this project is not in keeping with the experience we are trying to provide resort guests,” he said.

“While enabling the contractors to start work early and finish late each day to work around tides will substantially reduce the duration of the project, we do believe the works would have the potential to have a significant impact on resort guests’ experience.

“Our management team will be working closely with staff affected by this temporary closure.”

Ports North said works would be further complicated by weather, being at the tail end of cyclone season, and tides.

While the jetty will remain open to the public and for vessel arrival and departures, works to the jetty are expected to be noisy.

The Green Island Resort spokeswoman said resort management had been working closely with the Ports North project team on ways to minimise the duration of the project and the impact on the resort.

Guests who have bookings during the closure period will be contacted by resort staff.