Australia’s $2 billion reef island development opens for investors

The campaign to seek partners for the $AUD2 billion project is spearheaded by global golfing giant Greg Norman, who has designed a championship 18 hole course on the island. He was in Queensland this week to reveal the fully approved, multi-faceted luxury tourism and villa development plans.

 

With Norman’s Great White Shark Enterprises, global agents JLL have been engaged to source international investors and the prominent investment bank, Moelis & Company, has been engaged as lead financial advisor to the project.

 

Together, these three groups will champion the opportunity for investors to buy into the iconic project which is the largest and possibly last of its kind on the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. Initial interest has already been fielded with a formal investment campaign expected to roll out internationally next month.

 

Great Keppel is one of the Reef’s most accessible islands – more than twice the size of popular Hamilton Island and just a 50 minute flight from the Queensland capital Brisbane. The integrated resort development boasts government support for the delivery of 700 luxury villas, 350 luxury apartments, a five-star golf course, beachfront hotel, marina, airstrip and retail village.

 

Its magnificent setting includes 17 pristine whites beaches, a tropical reef climate and natural habitat in a marine park listed as one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

 

Owner, Tower Holdings CEO Terry Agnew said the campaign was being launched at a time when Australia was supporting renewed investment in 5 star tourism product to meet the demands and expectations from the booming Asian travel market.

 

Tourism Australia’s General Manager of Destination Development, Katherine Droga said Australian tourism was performing well, with a record 6.5m international visitors in 2013 spending more than AUD$28b.

 

“Great Keppel Island is an exciting project and represents just the kind of investment story and ‘new news’ our industry needs to keep Australia and our world class visitor experiences front of mind for both international travellers and the broader investment community,” she said.

 

JLL CEO Australia Stephen Conry said Great Keppel Island represented one of those rare opportunities with an extremely well planned development, set to deliver great returns, with full government support to develop the project.

 

“The realization of the potential for five star facilities on the Great Barrier Reef is unquestionable and this investment opportunity has many attractive features, not least its position in one of the world’s most pristine locations in a country that has considerable growth projections for tourism in the region,” Conry said.

 

Norman was enthusiastic about the potential for investment from world leading operators.  “I have not seen a project like this anywhere in the world. I have travelled to great islands all over the world and there is nothing like this place and nothing like the Great Barrier Reef.”

 

“The magnitude and beauty of Great Keppel Island makes it a magnificent site, and as a Queenslander I am very honoured to be involved with bringing this vision to reality.”

 

Interested parties can make their enquiries with either JLL, Moelis or Great White Shark Enterprises.

 

Photo caption : Greg Norman at the Great Keppel Island announcement in Brisbane April 1