Resort plans in muddle
Developer holds on to dream of upgrade
FITZROY Island tycoon Doug Gamble is running on pure industrial grade tropical stubbornness as he negotiates a sticky web of green tape to redevelop his ageing resort.
A 10-year masterplan for the resort’s transformation has been lodged with Cairns Regional Council seemingly through some kind of bureaucratic confusion.
It revealed plans for new hotel rooms in buildings spanning five, three and two storeys, “wellness” accommodation, new rooms for staff and a future helipad.
There was also a move to create a wedding chapel as a replica of the former Anglican church built out of coral at Welcome Bay – where the resort now lies – in 1892 when Fitzroy Island was part of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Mission.
Mr Gamble said the “draft” proposal was not meant to be lodged officially and aspects had already been knocked on the head.
“I’ve already been told it won’t be able to be restored because it is too close to the waterfront under those regulations,” he said. “I didn’t know it (the masterplan) was being released.
“And I can assure you that it will not go ahead in its present format because of reactions I’ve already received, such as to the coral chapel.
“Apparently 10 years is not a suitable time frame.
“There’s a lot of effort gone into trying to research what to do there (with the chapel) and it’s come to nothing.”
Mr Gamble has previously submitted documents to the council outlining difficulties in securing investors for the upgrade.
He bought the resort for $8.5 million in 2010 and tried to resell it for $30 million in 2016. Now he is committed to the redevelopment.
“I came to Cairns specifically to do a development that was estimated would take three-and-a-half years,” he said. “It’s already taken nine. “The biggest issue is that the Reef is very important to the economy and Cairns specifically.
“All the concepts about looking after it are great, but the system doesn’t work in practice.
“All I can tell you is that most developers aren’t as stubborn as I am and that’s why there are very few left.”
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