Greaton buys Queensland's Keswick Island
Greaton has acquired Queensland's Keswick Island, as the group continues to diversify its portfolio from apartments to hotel resorts.
It reported it was recently listed with adjusted $20 million hopes.
The transfer of the lease over Keswick Island from Edward Dawson-Damer to Sydney-based Chinese investors Greaton has received State Govenmemnt sign off.
In 2016 Keswick Island, a Great Barrier Reef island, was on the market with $30 million hopes.
Keswick Developments, owned by the Dawson-Damer family, was hopeful of attracting Chinese tourism interests.
Keswick Developments is dieted by Edward Dawson-Damer, a former equerry to Queen Elizabeth.
Captain James Cook charted Keswick on his maiden voyage, but since the hilly island -- home to an extinct volcano -- has been sparsely occupier with only about 20 houses and permanent residents.
Cars are banned, with residents travelling by golf buggy on the island.
Keswick Developments obtained the head lease eight years ago after the previous owner, Peter Marshall, spent 20 years attempting to develop the island.
The new owner will have a 117-hectare development lease with the Queensland government until 2096.
The rest of the 517 hectare island is national park.
The purchase will also give the buyer a 25-hectare seabed lease for a 180-berth marina and deep water jetty.
The mixed-use zoning on the sub-tropical island can accommodate 1000 dwellings and 3000 people.
The island, 32 kilometres off the coast of Mackay, already has a sealed airstrip, 150 subdivided lots, and preliminary key infrastructure for ongoing development.
The local paper wrote Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan said he was aware of a number of issues on Keswick Island, and he hoped that the lease transfer would be “the start of an exciting new era”.
Costigan said it was a shame that many of the southern Whitsunday islands, including Keswick, St Bees and Brampton islands, had been underdeveloped in terms of their tourism potential.
Linc Energy founder Peter Bond has recently commenced a formal campaign to sell Dunk Island off Mission Beach on the Great Barrier Reef with expectations around $20 million.
