Tourism drives investment

The rapid growth in tourists visiting The Great Southern’s coastal towns of Albany and Denmark has prompted multi-million dollar investments in tourism projects.

According to Tourism Western Australia’s latest Tourism Accommodation Development Register, $31 million is to be spent on new projects in planning or the construction stage as at June 2004. 

That includes a $20 million hotel and unit development adjacent to the Mount Barker Golf Club.

Albany Beachside Retreat is planning a $2.5 million project, and Torbay View Village will spend $1.8 million on new chalets.

The Pemberton Hotel is looking to add an additional 20 rooms while Pump Hill Farm Cottages, also in Pemberton, will spend $1 million on four motel-style units.

Denmark’s best-known getaway spot, Karri Mia Resort, recently spent $4.25 million upgrading and building additional rooms and studio units at its scenic Mt Shadforth Drive property.

Karri Mia Resort owner Graham Robertson said the past few summers had been busy in the area and there was a growth in tourist numbers and people moving into the shire.

He said the resort’s five new studio suites, priced at the higher end of the market, were proving more popular than the additional 10 suites it added to the resort last year.

Occupancy levels were as high as they were during the 2003-04 summer period, despite the arrival of several new operators in town.

However, Mr Robertson warned that the winter downturn meant all operators needed to be cautious about overcapitalising.

He said 2004 was the worst winter in Karri Mia’s eight-year history.

“I think that people were going back to Bali and the cold weather really does affect people choosing to come down,” Mr Robertson said.

But if the tourist trade became more consistent year-round, he said, further development of his 26-hectare property might be an option.

According to Denmark Visitors’ Centre interim manager Heather Falconer, encouraging greater consistency in visitor numbers was something her organisation was addressing.

“We want to promote the shoulder periods and we have started with some advertising for people to beat the heat in February by coming down here,” Ms Falconer said.

She said there had also been a growth in holiday homes for tourists to rent. 

“The most significant development has been in holiday homes,” Ms Falconer said. “They [owners] notify us and we can operate it for them, or if they live in the area they can manage it themselves, but I would say that there were about 20 new ones last year.”

PLANNED PROJECTS

Mount Barker Vineyard Resort

• 48 villa units, 20 hotel rooms. 
• Shire of Plantagenet.
• $20 million.

Albany Beachside Retreat

• Development of 25 serviced apartments.
• City of Albany.
• $2.5 million.

Forest Lodge Resort

• 48 new units.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $2 million.

Pump Hill Farm Cottages

• Additional four units.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $1 million.

Pemberton Hotel

• Additional 20 rooms.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $1 million.

Beedelup House

• 13 new guest rooms.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $0.8 million.

Warren River Resort

• 14 additional cottages.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $600,000.

King Trout Lodge

• Up-market six-bedroom lodge development.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $600,000.

Bayside Villas

• Stage 2.
• Shire of Manjimup.
• $100,000

City of Albany

• Farm-stay tourism development to cater to fishing market on Bluff Creek Road.

Source: Tourism Accommodation Development Register, June 2004