A dilapidated Queensland island getaway will be spruced up by a $600 million redevelopment, including a marina, six-star spa resort and five-star eco resort.
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The state government has declared special project status for the proposal on Lindeman Island, the former Whitsundays outpost of the world-renowned Club Med resort chain.
State Development Minister Anthony Lynham said the project could create more than 800 construction jobs over four years.
"When the resort is in full swing, it could maintain 300 ongoing operational jobs," he said.
A group tied to Chinese advertising and media company White Horse Group is proposing about 355 suites and villas across five precincts on the island.
Club Med closed its three-star Lindeman Island resort in January 2012, citing a post-GFC tourism downturn and cyclone damage among the causes.
White Horse bought the island for a lower-than-expected $12 million later that year, admitting the resort had been through some "very challenging times".
Dr Lynham said the development was the first "co-ordinated project" declared in Queensland for 18 months.
He said the declaration meant the Coordinator-General would co-ordinate state and federal government agency input into the environmental assessment process.
The status can be declared for projects with significant environmental effects, strategic significance, requiring complex approval requirements or significant infrastructure.
But the government stresses it does not "imply government approval of, support for or commitment to" the project.
"Lindeman Island is within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) will be subject to detailed scrutiny and full public consultation," Dr Lynham said.
"The Palaszczuk Government is job-focused, but we will always balance this with the need to protect the Great Barrier Reef, which itself supports 60,000 jobs and injects $6 billion into our economy."
Other co-ordinated project developments include stage 3 of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal, the Airport Link tunnel and the $8.15 billion Aquis mega casino in Cairns.
Draft terms of reference for the EIS are expected to be released in the next few weeks.
*White Horse Australia Lindeman CEO Paul Nyholt said the company was "delighted" to be granted coordinated project status.
"We are looking forward to working closely with the Coordinator-General's office to fulfil our obligations and deliver a world class tourism asset for Queensland," he said.
Mr Nyholt said the company had appointed Eastview Australia as project managers, DBI Design as architects, and Cardno as consultant for the EIS.
The full proposal includes:
- About 335 suites and villas across five precincts, including a six-star spa resort and a five-star eco resort
- A central village, including shops, restaurants, bars, a spa, a services infrastructure precinct, four-hole golf course and staff accommodation
- A 50-berth marina to transfer guests
- Upgrading the private airstrip to allow small jet landings and all-weather access
- A coral planting program, a Great Barrier Reef educational centre, nature reserve and vegetation replanting program.
*This story has been updated to include comments from White Horse Australia Lindeman and clarifications about the proposed project.
