Jet-set plans for huge tourist attraction

Plans for a major new tourist attraction, creating thousands of jobs, have been revealed by Moreton Bay City Council.

A report for tomorrow’s General Meeting gives no specific details and seeks approval for 'international travel for tourism investment'.

However, it does say Council “has a number of high-quality leads, including one major proponent interested to develop a major tourism accommodation and experience offering in the City of Moreton Bay.

“The project, if realised, would contribute thousands of jobs and generate significant economic output, the likes of which have not been previously realised in the City of Moreton Bay.

“It would also become a major attractor as part of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.”

Councillors will vote on a request to send an elected representative and/or the CEO and possibly officers to South-East Asia and the Middle East early next year.

In the publicly-available meeting agenda, it says they would meet ‘investment teams of a live major tourism development interested in the City of Moreton Bay’.

The representatives would look to ‘position the City of Moreton Bay as the best location for the tourism development’.

In the report it adds: “Due to signing a non-disclosure agreement, Council is constrained from providing further details of the project and the proponent.”

However, a Council spokesperson said: "Council works tirelessly to ensure City of Moreton Bay is considered a destination of choice for prospective businesses both nationally and internationally.

"The 2020-2041 Regional Economic Development Strategy sets out a vision to reach a $40 billion local economy, with a key focus being tourism."

But it adds the region’s tourism potential is “limited by a lack of branded short-term accommodation and commissionable product in the form of tourism experiences”.

Council as a Tourism Opportunity Plan (TOP) which includes a graphic showing tourism opportunities and tourism developments in the pipeline.

Six of the ‘opportunities’ are on the western side of the region, one at Redcliffe and two just north of Caboolture.

Council has also identified a major shortfall in visitor accommodation saying in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games it needs at least eight hotels and more than 1000 hotel rooms.

In August Council put two major parcels of land – by the highway turn-off to Caboolture and in the centre of North Lakes – back on the market.