The " Gold Coast " - in Tasmania ?

The island state of Tasmania has been carefully nurturing its tourist image very successfully over many decades.   People from all over Australia flock there because it is " different " !  That is a mix of amenities that have been carefully managed to provide the luxury that tourists expect without damaging the natural beauty that visitors admire.  Now a massive development is waiting final approval and that has the capacity to change everything.

Tasmania's east coast comprises a string of fishing villages that charm the tourists because they  blend so naturally with the stunning  landscapes and exciting beaches and present a vision of yesteryear.   That is an image that is being carefully preserved by preventing over development.

Now a consortium of Australian and Chinese financial interests is proposing to develop 3185 hectares of farmland between Dolphin Sands and the historic town of Swansea, with its just 645 residents.  This includes a period farmhouse that dates back to an earlier century and is heritage listed and the foreshore  overlooks Great Oyster Bay and the granite peaks of the Freycinet national park.

The intent of this development is to lure cashed-up Chinese tourists and the plan includes up to 70 villas, 120 rooms and 240 units, plus golf courses, conference facilities and palliative units - with an airstrip on the longer term horizon to allow direct flights in and out.  The construction bill will top a hundred million dollars.  It is receiving spirited opposition from local residents.

This is a development that could totally change the nature of tourism on the Tasmanian east coast.  It envisages bringing in packaged tours of Chinese visitors who will exclusively use this resort and this will attract competitors to develop similar facilities nearby to cash-in on the overseas advertising potential. It could easily become a mini version of the Gold Coast.

It will certainly provide local jobs and may slow the movement of younger people out of the area but it will create a bustling hub that is completely out of character with why tourists find Tasmania so charming.  The resort will generate massive sewage waste which will be treated and then dumped in the pristine sea. Tasmania needs to consider whether this development is compatible with the image it has created that is attracting the burgeoning tourist trade to is shores.

In some ways this is  reminiscent of " Club Med " very many years ago.  Resorts designed to attract a specific group of people who were flown in and nurtured exclusively within its confines and who had few outside contacts or experiences.   The aim was to concentrate the tourist dollar spend in company owned premises to enhance profitability, and that resulted in its failure.  Clive Palmer's Dinosaur themed tourist resort in Queensland suffered a similar fate - for the same reason.

Tasmania would be wise to give this project very deep thought before making a final decision !