Delays on approval for $1bn project

THE deadline for approving the $1.1bn Whitsunday Paradise project has been extended by another month despite developers pushing for council approval by late last week.

Greater Rewards Group had set the deadline for approval for last Friday, but a council director last week made it clear the green light would not be provided by then.

The company has now moved the approval deadline to October 16.

Greater Rewards Group general manager Blake Thomas said the series of meetings held between council representatives and his company on Friday had been positive.

“This is an especially important project for the Bowen region and we understand that the council wants to make sure they deliver the best result for the community,’’ Mr Thomas said.

“However, we can assure the Bowen residents that Whitsunday Paradise will be a world-class masterplanned community that will deliver significant economic benefits to the region for many years to come.

“The people of Bowen should know that we are ready to start work almost immediately on $40m worth of infrastructure upgrades for the Bowen region.”

Last week, Whitsunday Regional Council development services director Neil Mcgaffin said there were three significant issues to resolve in the Whitsunday Paradise proposal before approval was granted: sewerage, reticulated water and a recreation space.

“If we get the infrastructure contributions wrong it could impose an unnecessary burden on council and that’s what we want to prevent,” he said.

“We’ve got a responsibility to make sure the ratepayers aren’t contributing more than they should over the short and the long term.”