Further design plans have been revealed and public consultation has started for a proposed holiday park development that has been endorsed by Australia Zoo owner Terri Irwin.
The proposal, by leading Australian regional tourism company G’day Group, would see the development of more than 340 tourist sites, featuring a mix of cabins, glamping tents and powered and unpowered camp sites, as well and family-friendly recreation facilities, including a splash park, pool, mini golf course and BMX track.
The property, which is located two minutes off the Bruce Highway on Steve Irwin Way at Glenview, would operate under G’day Group’s Discovery Parks brand, which has more than 85 locations around Australia.
The community and local businesses now have an opportunity to have their say on the proposal, with public consultation open until July 4. The application is before council for an impact assessment.
A press release from G’day Group said the project had strong support from high-profile tourism operators such as Australia Zoo, Aussie World, Visit Sunshine Coast and Big Kart Track, which have offered letters in support of the development.
The director and owner of nearby Australia Zoo, Terri Irwin, said via the press release that the project would benefit the region in the long-term.
“The development of quality accommodation is in urgent need across the destination, which is why Australia Zoo recently launched and will continue to expand the Crocodile Hunter Lodge,” she said.
“These projects will complement each other well, delivering much-needed inventory to the region of a quality with recognised brands that are aligned to destination development plans.
“They will go a long way to increasing our overnight visitation to the region as well as providing cross-selling opportunities supporting all local attractions, including Australia Zoo.
“We also believe these new exciting products will stimulate further investment and product development within the region as we work towards expanding length of stay on the Sunshine Coast.”
The group, which has developed holiday parks around Australia, said the Glenview Discovery Parks development was expected to deliver significant economic benefits to the Sunshine Coast.
In March, the company unveiled a $22 million redevelopment of its Discovery Parks property in the South Australian coastal holiday town of Goolwa.
In the 12 months since the development was completed, the park has injected more than $11.2 million into the local economy and delivered an additional 16,000 accommodation nights to the town.
G’day Group chief investment officer Amanda Baldwin said the Discovery Parks model was a proven one and it would complement the Sunshine Coast’s hinterland tourism.
“With visitor nights to the Sunshine Coast expected to increase by more than four million over the next decade, our development will provide much-needed accommodation infrastructure to support the region’s tourism growth,” she said.
“Importantly, as evidenced by the great support we’ve received from other tourism operators in the region, the development will complement existing and emerging tourism attractions, such as the proposed Invigorate Resort and Actventure Waterpark.
“As a company, we have significant experience of investing in communities across Australia’s regions to support visitation growth and increase destination appeal, which has a positive flow-on effect for other local operators.”
The G’day Group was founded by Grant Wilckens in 2004. It is home to three brands: Discovery Parks (owned and managed parks), G’day Parks (independently owned licensed parks) and G’day Rewards (membership program). It is majority owned by Australian Retirement Trust. Mr Wilckens is the CEO. He is also the chair of the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and Board Director of the South Australian Tourism Commission.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
