“These are business decisions, and these are questions that people should ask the company. I’m not talking about the company. “
Livingstone Shire Council Mayor Andy Ireland said last Friday he had news of Rinehart’s retirement.
“I called the Hancock project engineer, just to get an idea of the decision, and he said the level of involvement of all levels of government has been wonderful,” he said.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“Companies like Hancock Prospecting are in the business of making money, and they don’t accumulate, so I don’t think there’s any fault to be assigned here. I think everyone worked really hard to get this across the line.”
Regardless of the disappointment, Ireland said it did not mean “the end of Great Keppel Island”.
“I think as a community, we just have to keep supporting it.”
Great Keppel Island Resort in 2009, two years after its closure. Credit: James Shrimpton / AAP
Ireland said its council had increased its contribution to the local regional tourism organization Capricorn Enterprise so that it could continue to promote modest facilities, such as campsites and boutique accommodation, which already exist on the island.
“I think now is the time for the state, which actually owns the islands and the leases that have been negotiated so far, to start taking a leadership role in this; sit down with stakeholders, including the council, the island’s businesses, the community at large, and develop a strategic plan for Great Keppel, ”he said.
“Right now, the state is committed to spending about $ 30 million on community infrastructure on the island, and this process is underway for a period of time. And some projects have been identified based on that, which will be good for GPI.
“Looking to the future, we need to have a much stronger strategic plan for the island.”
Such a plan is unlikely to return to the youth of Great Keppel Island in Ireland, when visitors were seduced by the advertising slogan “Let yourself be shipwrecked on Great Keppel Island”.
“When I grew up here, Great Keppel Island was pumping,” he said. “As a college student in those days, it was great because we went there on Friday night after the lectures, we went partying, we slept on the beach and we took the boat home the next morning.
“It was a great facility that was available to families and everyone, as well as the resort itself, which was available to paying customers.”
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While this approach would probably not fly into the era of responsible drinking, Ireland said there was still a chance to create a valuable family destination for both the local community and tourists.
But he was realistic about the challenges of attracting investment.
“I fully understand the cost of running the islands and the cost of maintaining them,” Ireland said.
“Whenever you look at something on an island, you can multiply your cost base exponentially, so it’s extremely expensive to do anything.
“If you want to build something, you’re probably dealing with about 11 different government departments at the same time, so it can also be a challenge from that point of view.
“So I understand the decision, there is no one to blame.”
Queensland Tourism Industry Council Executive Director Brett Fraser declined to comment.
Seven years ago, residents pushed for a “boutique casino license” to fund tourism development on the island.
Then-Environment Minister Steven Miles urged Tower to build the complex independently.