A NEW eco retreat and beach club on Rottnest Island could be available to tourists as early as October 2018.
The plan by the Baileys Group is to build the island’s first glamping (glamourous camping) resort at Pinky Beach.
It would consist of 86 eco-accommodation tents, a beach club with food and beverage facilities, including a cafe and bar, and retail space.
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READ NOWA development application for the Pinky’s Eco Retreat and Beach Club was submitted to the Rottnest Island Authority (RIA), which advertised the plan for 21 days.
The public consultation period closed on Sunday, with the RIA expected to discuss the proposal at a board meeting this month.
Pinky’s Beach director Tim Crosland said tourists could be using the resort from October 2018 “if a positive decision is made by the (RIA) board later this month and all goes to plan”.
“Should it receive board approval, Pinky’s Eco Retreat will be the first new accommodation to be built on the island in about 30 years,” he said.
“There have been several projects come and go over that time but none have come to fruition.
“Eco tourism is on the rise internationally, so we believe Pinky’s will be extremely marketable to interstate and international visitors.
“Because Pinky Beach is a stunning location, we expect that being able to stay near the beach, tucked in behind the sand dunes and close to nature, it will have broad appeal.”
A RIA spokeswoman said more than 200 submissions made during the consultation period would be collated and submitted to the board for consideration, although she could not confirm it would be discussed this month.
“Following conditional approval, the timeframe for construction is up to the applicant,” she said.
The facility is expected to provide full-time jobs for 40 people and attract an additional 17,000 visitors to Rottnest Island annually.
Mr Crosland said the project cost was “commercially confidential”.
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