Integrated Resort Developments

An Integrated Resort Development (IRD) is a high quality, mixed use destination aimed at providing tourism, leisure and entertainment facilities that appeal to as broad a demographic as possible, including the international market. Such developments deliver broad direct and indirect benefits to the economy and community. They may also include casinos and offer gaming activities integrated with other service offerings to go beyond the traditional stand-alone casino.

An Integrated Resort Development could include:

  • iconic architecture with expansive high amenity public realm
  • five or six star hotels
  • arcades, pools, salons, gyms and other recreational facilities
  • meeting and conference spaces
  • tourist attractions including maritime museums and aquariums
  • theatre and convention facilities
  • cinemas
  • gaming facilities
  • boutique retail
  • bars
  • celebrity chef restaurants.

Benefits of an Integrated Resort Development

Integrated Resort Developments offer outstanding opportunities for Queensland to enhance its tourism offerings. Such developments can support major events and reinvigorate key locations across the state for entertainment and recreation to both locals and visitors alike.

In Queensland, tourism contributes $25 billion to the state's economy and supports over 236,000 jobs.

The Queensland Government is committed to supporting the growth of the tourism sector.

Integrated Resort Developments can help achieve this goal by contributing to increased international tourism and boosting the state's economy through tourism and construction.

Criteria for future Integrated Resort Developments

Any new regional Integrated Resort Development proposal must:

include significant capital investment to create a development that attracts international tourists, where construction commences within 18 months of contractual close

be located within close proximity to a major population centre with a catchment of at least 150,000 people within a 70 kilometre radius of the regional centre

  • be near an operational international airport or an airport that is capable of being upgraded to international standards
  • have well-established transport networks and significant existing tourism infrastructure with identified growth potential.

Gold Coast Integrated Resort Development (The Spit proposal)

On 1 August 2017, the State Government ended the proposed ASF development on the Gold Coast Spit. The government also announced that it will move forward with a community-led master plan for the area. The decision does not rule out a future Integrated Resort Development (IRD) on the Gold Coast.

The Southport Spit Master Plan is being led by the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning (formerly the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning) in collaboration with the City of Gold Coast and the Gold Coast Waterways Authority.

For further information please visit the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning website.

Timeline

The following is a summary of the Gold Coast IRD (The Spit proposal) timeline.

  • ProcessTiming
    Registration of InterestDecember 2013 to February 2014

  • ProcessTiming
    Expression of InterestJanuary to March 2014

  • ProcessTiming
    Request for Detailed Proposals (RFDP)Start August 2014
    Government rules out development on The Northern SpitAugust 2014
    Government suspends process
    Wavebreak Island and with ASF Consortium    		April 2015
    ASF Consortium and government announce process to continueAugust 2015

    Revised proposal submitted by ASF Consortium

    		October 2015

    Government considers ASF Consortium proposal and revises its proposal

    		December 2015 to May 2016
    Government reconsiders and accepts ASF Consortium revised concept plan December 2016

    Community consultation commences
    Advertising includes media releases, newspaper articles and radio ads
    More than 6,500 completed surveys have been submitted for the two consultations.
    Additionally there was:

    • a (rescheduled) public   information session at Southport State High School
    • a business information evening
    • 3 community information   sessions at the Department of State Development's Gold Coast office
    • 1,000 online surveys completed
    • 4 focus groups undertaken
    • 100 telephone polling
    • more than 50 face-to-face   consultations with individual and community group in and around   the Gold Coast also media releases, 1800 number for enquiries, radio ads and   print advertisements in the Gold Coast Bulletin and Gold Coast Sun.
    		December 2016 to April 2017

  • ProcessTiming
    Government announces it has ‘terminated’ the proposed ASF development on the Gold Coast Spit. They also announced the State will move forward with a community-led master planAugust 2017
    Government clarifies decision on the Spit and reinforces a license remains availableAugust 2017

Gold Coast Integrated Resort Development (The Spit proposal) community consultation

The Queensland Government commissioned two, independent community consultation programs relating to activity on The Spit on the Gold Coast.

The Spit parkland

Consultation on The Spit parkland was about how best to improve and permanently protect public open space on The Spit. More information about The Spit parkland:

Integrated Resort Development (ASF proposal)

This consultation program was about how an Integrated Resort Development (IRD) on The Spit could best benefit the Gold Coast and the broader community. More information about the Integrated Resort Development (ASF proposal):

KPMG was commissioned to help design a community consultation methodology. It involved selected consultation with the community to understand views on what stakeholders considered might be an appropriate consultation process.

During the course of the KPMG commission, the four month community consultation, undertaken by the Donaldson Consulting Group began.

Gold Coast Broadwater, Spit and Surrounds 1 Market Research February 2016 - Overview

Current status

  • On 1 August 2017, the State Government ended the proposed ASF development on the Gold Coast Spit. The government also announced that it will move forward with a community-led master plan for the area. The decision does not rule out a future Integrated Resort Development on the Gold Coast.

    The Southport Spit Master Plan is being led by the Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning (formerly the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning) in collaboration with the City of Gold Coast and the Gold Coast Waterways Authority.

  • In December 2016 the Queensland Government announced that The Spit's beach and parkland would be protected and given a family-friendly makeover. Community consultation was undertaken from January 2017 until 7 April 2017, to ensure Gold Coast residents and the City Council were involved in the development of a plan for the coastal parkland.

    At the same time, independent public consultation on ASF Consortium's revised proposal was undertaken.

    The Queensland Government would like to thank members of the community for their input and participation in the community consultations. The community consultations resulted in more than 8,000 completed submissions via a variety of methods, including:

    • public information session at Southport State High School
    • business information evening
    • 3 community information sessions at the Department of State Development's Gold Coast Office
    • 1,000 online surveys completed
    • 4 focus groups
    • 100 telephone polls
    • more than 50 face-to-face consultations with individual and community groups in and around the Gold Coast area
    • the community consultation also included media releases, a 1800 number for enquires, radio ads and print advertisements in the Gold Coast Bulletin and Gold Coast Sun.

  • On 22 August 2016 Aquis formally notified the Queensland Government of its withdrawal from the Integrated Resort Development (IRD) process and that it was no longer seeking a casino licence for its Aquis at the Great Barrier Reef development at Yorkeys Knob in Cairns.

    As a result, the Aquis proposal for an IRD at Yorkeys Knob, has been reshaped to focus on a $2 billion residential and tourism development with luxury hotels, apartments and villas.

    The Queensland Government continues to work with Aquis, given the jobs and opportunities on offer from this reshaped proposal.

    Aquis is now working with the Department of Local Government, Infrastructure and Planning, Office of the Coordinator-General and Cairns City Council to obtain the required development approvals.

  • On 16 March 2016, it was announced in State Parliament that if one or both of the current regional IRD proposals do not go ahead, the Queensland Government may go back to the market to seek expressions of interest for the available regional licences.

Last updated: 18 Dec 2020