$600 million redevelopment of Lindeman Island resort in the Whitsundays

Plans are afoot for a $600 million redevelopment of Lindeman Island resort in the Whitsundays.

White Horse Australia Lindeman Pty Ltd has gained ‘coordinated project’ status for its proposal to revive the cyclone-battered island getaway as an integrated resort with five precincts.

Lindeman Island was one of the first islands in the 74 Whitsunday islands group to be used as a tourist resort, with tourist operations commencing in 1923 when Angus Nicholson established a camp for visitors.  Prior to this time the Island was used for sheep grazing following the issue of a lease in 1905.  The major tourist investment on the island occurred when Club Med established their first Australian resort in 1992.  It was a 225 room 3 star resort with an emphasis on families, adventure and entertainment.  Club Med spent in the order of $85 million in 1990 on the development of the Resort.  

White Horse Australia Lindeman Pty Ltd propose to redevelop the existing resort at Lindeman Island into a world class integrated tourist resort with a Spa, Tourist Villas and Safe Harbour.  The proposed design incorporates environmental improvements to protect the values of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and set new international standards in environmental sustainability and integrated resort design.   

The redevelopment will result in a world class experience, which will not only lift the marketability of the island but also reposition and revitalise the Whitsundays and Queensland as a vibrant domestic and international tourist destination.  The proposal would contribute to achieving the Queensland Government initiatives to double annual tourism visitor expenditure to $30 billion by 2020 and would seek to increase the labour force and increase accommodation capacity in line with the Commonwealth’s Tourism 2020 Strategy

The construction and operation of the proposed resort will have significant impact on Regional GDP with a final development cost of approximately $600 million and the creation of approximately 865 construction jobs (on‐site and off‐Island during the construction period) and 1,100 part time, full time and casual jobs once operational (including 300 staff on the Island).   

The proponent, who has links to one of China’s largest advertising and media groups, seeks to build several five and six-star facilities, including a 50-berth marina.

The existing Club Med resort on the island closed in January 2012 after suffering damage from Tropical Cyclone Yasi. White Horse purchased the resort lease the following April.

While the location of buildings, density of development, infrastructure and the Safe Harbour, are to be refined through the EIS process, key aspects of the proposal comprise: 

•  Beach resort ‐ redevelopment of existing resort to achieve a new 5 star beach resort with 136 suites, conference centre, beach club and a new central facilities building which includes restaurants, bars and lounges; 
•  Spa resort ‐ on the headland adjacent to the existing resort a new 6 star Spa resort is proposed with 55 villas,  central facilities, entry lounge, Spa, sea view restaurant, pool and signature rock bar.  The signature rock bar is proposed to be located at the south‐west corner of the headland and will provide spectacular alfresco dining close to the sea; 
•  Tourist villa precincts ‐ two tourist precinct villa precincts accommodating 95 tourist villas are proposed to the north‐east and the north‐west of the existing resort; 
•  Eco resort ‐ a new 5 Star Eco Resort is proposed at the northern end of the lake gently falling towards the western coastline and will consist of 49 villas, a central facility, a boathouse and a waterside restaurant; 
• Village ‐ a central village precinct is proposed that will accommodate a bar, night club, restaurant, conference facility buildings, arrival centre, shops, restaurants, sport and recreation centre and a staff village;  
• Services infrastructure precinct ‐ the existing services including power (solar arrays proposed), sewerage and water treatment plants will be replaced to increase capacity and reflect current best practice; 
•  Airstrip ‐ the existing airstrip is proposed to be upgraded to provide for near all‐weather status and capable of landing small jets and helicopters; 
•  Golf course ‐ a four hole golf course is proposed adjacent to the tourist villa precinct (a reduction in size from the existing layout);
• Safe harbour ‐ a new Safe Harbour is proposed to provide access for the transfer of guests via ferries, luxury vessels and private charters which offers greater protection from the prevailing wind directions; and 
• Ecotourism and environmental enhancements ‐ new ecotourism opportunities are proposed, including a coral planting program and a National Park and Great Barrier Reef Educational Centre (for guests and visitors).  A vegetation replanting program is also proposed over previously disturbed/cleared areas.

Lindeman Island is within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the EIS will be subject to detailed scrutiny and full public consultation

The resort will be powered by a hybrid energy generation system, combining diesel generation and solar PV technology/battery storage.  The resultant change will be a vast improvement over current installations in terms of energy efficiency and environmental impact. The development will aim to minimise its use of energy by incorporating state‐of‐the‐art Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) features such as: 

• Building design to maximise natural flow ventilation and reduce the need for air conditioning; 
• Building design to maximise natural light and reduce power requirements; 
• Low energy usage appliances installed in all buildings; 
• Transportation around the island to be predominantly by foot, bicycle or electric carts; 
• Motion sensors to be installed in buildings to reduce energy use wastage;
• State‐of‐the‐art energy metering to monitor and manage energy usage and efficiency.

The proponent is currently preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in order  to comprehensively understand the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the project.
Areas examined as a part of the EIS include:

• Tenure and Land Use;

• Coastal and Marine Environment; 

• Flora and Fauna;

• Hazards, health and safety;

• Air, Noise & Vibration;

• Social and Economic; 

• Cultural Heritage;

• Transport, Infrastructure and Waste; and 

• Water Quality and Water Resources.

In early 2016, consultants working for White Horse Australia Lindeman Pty Ltd (the project proponents) will be completing a variety of studies and research in the above areas, and talking to key stakeholders about the potential impacts of the project on the region. 

It is anticipated that the draft EIS will be available for public consultation by mid 2016.