Great Keppel development approval

Federal environment minister Tony Burke has approved the Great Keppel Island tourism and marina development, subject to conditions to minimise its potential environmental impact.

The development includes the construction and operation of a 250 berth marina precinct, 750 resort villas and 300 apartments, a hotel and an 18 hole golf course.

Great Keppel Island has been a tourist destination since the 1930s with the first resort established on the island in the 1960s, expanding further in the 1970s, before the resort facilities closed in 2008. It is, of course, a great boating destination.

But Mr Burke said the proposal is significantly different from the proposal put forward in 2009. 

The footprint for the revised development is 40 per cent smaller -- down by 58 hectares -- there are 950 or 55 per cent fewer villas in the tourism resort, and 310 or 55 per cent fewer berths in the marina.

The proposal now includes considerably improved management of waste water, with no discharge of water into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park being permitted.

The golf course has been relocated away from the Leeke’s Lagoon to ensure larger buffers from migratory bird habitat and to remove its visibility from the sea through retention of vegetation and establishment of screening vegetation. 

The marina has also been redesigned to reduce the extent of dredging required for its construction. But once built, it will be a coveted destination by cruising sailors and motorboaters. 

Further information on the development can be found at www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/epbc/epbc_ap.pl?name=current_referral_detail&proposal_id=5521