Green Light for $64m Cable Beach Tourist Park Project

The Shire of Broome Council has approved the business case for a caravan park project at Broome’s Cable Beach in northern Western Australia.

The 420-unit Sanctuary Road Caravan Park, Key Worker and Over 55s Village project has an estimated to construction cost of $64 million.

The shire plans to ask the state and federal government for an initial $15 million in grants to fast-track the headworks and site preparation before then providing long-term leases to investors to develop and operate the site.

The plans for the park include 286 tourist caravan sites for short stays, camping sites and cabins, 56 park homes for long-term key workers, 35 park homes for people aged over 55, and 43 long-term-stay caravan sites. 

The plans also include an amphitheatre, oval, recreation room, camp kitchen, tennis court, reception, laundry, pool, manager’s house, workshop, a basketball half court, and a putt putt golf course on the camping and caravan side of the property.

There will be another pool, community garden, activity centre and men’s shed near the section set aside for over 55s.

▲ A render of the proposed Sanctuary Road Caravan Park at Cable Beach in WA.

The 13.5ha site is on Sanctuary Road near the Frangipani Resort, Oaks Cable Beach Sanctuary and the Tarangau Caravan Park.

It is bordered by Oryx Road to the west and north and Fairway Drive to the east.

The site is Reserve 51028, zoned for tourism, and available for a 50-year lease.

The shire expects the project to create 140 jobs over its three-year construction phase and 191 jobs during a decade of operation. 

It is also estimated to generate $62.5 million in gross regional product over the construction phase and $29.5 million in the first 10 years of operation with a net product value for the community of $79.8 million by the 15th year of operation.

Shire of Broome president Harold Tracey said housing shortages had driven the project’s creation.

▲ The Shire of Broome Council's proposed plans for a 420-unit caravan park with key worker and over 55 accommodation options at Cable Beach in Western Australia.

“In our recent Community Scorecard process, the Broome community told us the lack of housing was an issue the shire should try to remedy,” Tracey said.

“While it is not the role of a local government to construct homes and we have a limited role we can play, I think the proposed Sanctuary Road Caravan Park, Key Worker and Over 55s Village project would have a massive impact on Broome.”

Broome is currently experiencing a shortfall of 400 to 500 caravan sites during the tourist season.

An aging population is also contributing to a need for 160 houses, a public servant housing shortfall of 125 houses and certain key projects bring the overall demand for housing to around 1000 homes.

Sheffield Resources’ Thunderbird Mineral Sands project, halfway between Broome and Derby, is expected to create 400 construction and 200 operation roles.

The $110-million Kimberley Marine Offloading Facility’s floating wharf and terminal will create 260 construction and 1650 long-term roles and the $12.3-million Regional Resource Recovery Park will create 242 construction roles and nine long term roles.

▲ A render of the outdoor stage and screen area for Spinifex Brewery's new ale house project at Cable Beach in Western Australia.

Meanwhile, the Spinifex Brewing Company has also received planning approval to build a $5-million family-friendly ale house at Cable Beach near the site of the proposed caravan park. 

Spinifex chief executive Adam Barnard said the project would offer a key amenity to locals in light of the planned caravan park. 

“I am also excited about the potential tourism benefits a project of this scale will bring and how it will complement the proposed Cable Beach Redevelopment plans,” Barnard said.

The Laird Tran Studio-designed ale house will feature an extensive lawn area, playground, productive gubinge forest, an outdoor LED screen and stage, a Flying Foam-commissioned 6HL steamfired brewery, and indoor and outdoor dining.

It will also include a gubinge and boab Aboriginal bush food packaging facility in conjunction with local Robert Dann’s Bindam Mie enterprise.

FLCB Developments will start construction on the ale house in late October for Spinifex, who said that only low- and mid-strength beers will be brewed for consumption onsite. 

Spinifex is hoping to open the ale house to the public next year.

Caravan parks have become big business with investors flocking to invest as the demand for domestic tourism increases. Some new owners are opting to develop hotel projects on their parks as well. 

Among high-profile offers, the Turtle Sands Camping and Holiday Park in Mon Repos and the NRMA Agnes Water Holiday Park recently went on the market—the latter selling for $27.5 million.