Multimillion-dollar Wonga resort pledge to create hundreds of jobs
Shire development
Fresh details have been emerging about a massive 66-room resort and conference centre plan at Wonga Beach - including an estimated construction-cost price tag of $182m - during the latest negotiations between the developers and planners to help get the project across the line.
On top of the huge cost to build the six-star eco-friendly Wonga Beach Resort complex, which is expected to take 18 months to complete, development services company Kelly Reaston has stated about 370 jobs will be created during the construction phase.
The guest capacity is expected to be more than 200, and the plans include a restaurant, bar, huge resort pool, day spa and gym, and an Indigenous Interpretive Centre at 18 Oasis Drive, Wonga Beach.
Ongoing operations are projected to generate about $50m per year, including about $12m per year in wages and salaries for about 150 full-time-equivalent jobs.
In terms of the people behind the development, the registered landowners are a private Australian company called 18 Oasis Street Pty Ltd, registered in NSW in September, 2023.
Revised plans for the resort were submitted to Douglas Shire Council at the start of this month.
“The project will support economic diversification within the northern Douglas Shire following the closure of the Mossman Sugar Mill,” the plans state.
“The resort operates predominantly on on-site renewable energy, with a moderate grid connection and backup generator.”
This includes 66 resort apartments in 33 villas, with road access via Oasis Drive connecting to Wonga Beach Road.
The maximum number of people expected on site during peak times is more than 450, which includes guests, conference attendees, restaurant-goers, bar staff, spa workers and housekeepers.
“This level of occupancy would only occur during major holiday periods, conference events and peak tourism seasons,” the plans state.
The total car movements on this type of peak day would be about 500.
“The proposed 66 apartment tourist resort at Oasis Drive, Wonga Beach, is expected to generate a moderate increase in traffic relative to the existing residential environment,” according to the plans.
“The project directly responds to an identified shortage of premium accommodation and wellness-based tourism experiences identified within the Port Douglas Daintree Destination Tourism Plan 2025.”
During the about 18-month construction period, the development is expected to generate more than $160m in economic output and more than $30m in wages and salaries.
The building has been designed by Charles Wright Architects on about 2400sq m to provide a “unique and high-end accommodation experience”.
“The project is for a world-class, luxury, six-star resort comprising 66 architecturally designed holiday villas, each carefully sited to optimise privacy, outlook, and integration with the natural landscape.
“A central building precinct forms the heart of the project and incorporates conference facilities, a lagoon-style pool, spa and wellness facilities, bar and restaurant offerings, and a dedicated interpretive centre.
“The Wonga Beach Resort has been intentionally conceived as a six-star, climate-positive tourism destination.”
The resort is planned at the former sites of Oz Oasis Resort, Redbacks and Daintree Palms, with those buildings being demolished a number of years ago.
The plans have generated considerable online debate among Wonga Beach and the wider Douglas Shire area residents since they were first released in December.
