Green light for ‘high-end’ Kununurra hotel

A proposed 4.5-star hotel in Kununurra is one step closer to construction after the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley council endorsed its application.

CGL Accommodation, under parent company Cambridge Gulf, proposed to redevelop the property on 47 Victoria Highway and Messmate Way Road reserve to a hotel named The Cambridge Kununurra.

The shire council granted approval for CGL Accommodation's application, at its meeting on Tuesday.

Shire chief executive Vernon Lawrence said the project had been ongoing for some time as a development of this size would need a negotation process.

"It's a very high-end renovation to the whole Ibis property," he said.

"What it's bringing to our community is absolute top quality acommodation for visitors to our town, which is what we were needing for some time."

Australian Securities and Investments Commission documents show shire president David Menzel is listed as one of the directors of Cambridge Gulf, but not as a director of CGL Accommodation.

A render of The Cambridge Kununurra. Image: apd architecture via council agenda

The application lodged proposed to expand the accommodation from 60 to 95 beds, a rebuild of the restaurant, bar and function centre, a new swimming pool and 64 parking bays onsite.

Cambridge Gulf is a Kununurra-based organisation providing shipping, fuel and logistics services across Northern Australia.

Mr Lawrence said he hoped The Cambridge would open before the next tourism season but was conscious of the construction issues, including labour and material shortages.

An artist's impression of The Cambridge Kununurra. Image: apd architecture via council agenda

According to the application, the construction costs would total $9.82 million which allowed the council to be the decision maker.

Mr Lawrence said the council would have to follow a different process if the costs were estimated to be more than $10 million.

Accommodation facility Ibis Styles Kununurra was previously on the site, before Cambridge Gulf acquired the land in September last year.