Council approves Hervey Bay Esplanade resort

Fraser Coast Regional Council has today approved a development application for a $450 million, 18-storey resort on the Hervey Bay Esplanade, subject to a range of development conditions.

The ‘material change of use’ application is for a five-star hotel and residential apartment complex on six parcels of land between 408 – 412 The Esplanade and Freshwater Street in Torquay.

The complex would include more than 200 hotel rooms and approximately 340 residential units supported by a conference facility, retail, food and drink outlets and recreation facilities.

At today’s Council meeting, Councillors voted 6 to 5 to approve the development application, subject to conditions.

The conditions include, but are not limited to:

• The development permit is current for six years and the permit will lapse if the development is not completed within 10 years;
• The development must be reduced in height from 21 storeys to 18 storeys;
• The development must achieve a 5-star or higher luxury hotel rating;
• A best-practice lighting design plan to manage any impacts on sea turtles and shorebirds and to minimise artificial skyglow;
• A wind impact assessment of the building design;
• A detailed landscape plan;
• Major road, footpath water and sewer infrastructure works on Freshwater Street and The Esplanade; and
• The provision of sufficient permanently marked car parking spaces, onsite apartment bicycle parking spaces and onsite hotel bicycle parking spaces;

In making their decision, Councillors considered a detailed development assessment report prepared by Council officers, and added their own additional conditions with the developer’s agreement to remove three storeys from the height of the development.

This report noted that “the establishment of an integrated residential resort, incorporating five-star accommodation provided by Sheraton, will be a positive economic and community outcome that will achieve many of the aspirations of the Fraser Coast planning scheme.”

The planning report also noted that “clear provisions of the scheme do not support the bulk, scale and height of the integrated residential resort”.

However, the planning report ultimately concluded the “balance is struck in favour of approval” stating that “the development represents a unique opportunity to deliver outcomes that the current provisions of the scheme about building height would not otherwise allow”.

A copy of the report in today’s Council meeting agenda is available at https://www.frasercoast.qld.gov.au/council-meetings while residents can view a live stream of today’s Council meeting at https://youtu.be/H8c_w8qf9C0