The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder has reached a Memorandum of Understanding with Pacifica Developments to build a 120 bed resort on the Kalgoorlie Golf Course.  The resort and hotel will be operated by major hospitality brand with global reach.

The resort, which will also include a day spa, function rooms, a restaurant and outdoor decking areas with expansive views over the golf course, will be enhanced by further development of community facilities by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The resort will also incorporate the long promised permanent clubhouse for the Goldfields Golf Club.

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder CEO John Walker said the operators are well established and well known resort and golf course operators with a high profile brand and an extensive list of properties. The developers are also very experienced in the delivery of resort projects and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the project.

“The operators run some of the most outstanding hotels and resorts in the country, so the community and indeed future visitors can expect a high level of service and amenity,” he said.

“The City has signed an MOU with Pacifica Developments for the resort development to go ahead, but obviously we are following due process under the Local Government Act to ensure that all aspects of this development are carried out appropriately.  Approvals are expected to take six months and the development is expected to be delivered by the end of 2018.

“We are very excited that they have come on board to develop a resort at the Kalgoorlie Golf Course. The City is continually looking at opportunities to diversify our local economy, and the development of a large resort will not only create local jobs but also really enhance the tourism product we have to offer here in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.  It has been promised for a long time!

“The designs will also allow for future expansion as required.

“Tourism is one of the seven key focus areas of the Growing Kalgoorlie-Boulder plan, and whilst the Kalgoorlie Golf Course has an excellent ranking and reputation, it has not been able to reach its full potential from a tourism and conventions perspective without the resort component. Today’s announcement just really takes the course to the next level.

“Through the Growing Kalgoorlie-Boulder plan, we have identified a number of growth priorities including tourism, and in terms of attracting and accommodating event and leisure tourism this project really fits the bill to make sure Kalgoorlie-Boulder has new and improved tourism experiences, and that we are building on the Growing Kalgoorlie-Boulder Strategic Tourism Plan.”

Mr Walker said the entire project is estimated to cost approximately $22million, with a $4million contribution from the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder to cover the golf clubhouse component. This amount is significantly lower than the $8 to $10million cost to the City if it had to build a stand alone clubhouse.

“The City will make a flat contribution to construction to cover the cost of the golf clubhouse, which will fully meet the legal requirements of the original golf course agreement and much more,” he said.

“We will also be investing an additional $3million into the project in the form of a commercial loan to the consortium to help get the project off the ground. This loan will then be repaid to the City by the developers. Both of these amounts will be funded through the City’s existing cash reserves and secured.

“Once the resort construction is underway, the City will be looking to enhance the precinct for residents, with features like a mini golf course and playground under consideration.”