Rocky Roberts Downsizes Barossa Luxury Golf Resort After Initial Refusal

South Australian football legend turned property developer, Neville “Rocky” Roberts, is back on the green with revised plans for a luxury golf resort in the Barossa Valley, after his initial proposal hit a snag last year.

Roberts, a SANFL Hall-of-Famer who boasts 44 VFL games for Richmond, 230 SANFL games, and captaincy of the South Australian state team, has refloated a significantly downsized vision for the Sandy Creek site.

The new proposal outlines a two-level, 73-unit resort, marking a substantial reduction from the three-level, 102-key resort plan that Roberts withdrew in October last year following a recommendation for refusal by a State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) planner.

A Key for Barossa Tourism

Roberts emphasized the critical need for more accommodation in the region to support its burgeoning tourism market.

“Tourism is the likely economic pathway for the Barossa and the missing link in the tourism chain at present is the lack of keys,” Roberts stated.

He highlighted the missed opportunities from events like the AFL’s Gather Round at nearby Lyndoch. “We’re less than a 10-minute drive from the AFL’s Gather Round at Lyndoch where we could get 30,000 people coming up for a couple of days, but they have very limited accommodation options.”

Resort Details and Partnerships

Set on a 6000sq m block on Williamstown Road at Sandy Creek, the resort would feature 51 rooms in the main building and 22 separate villas. Amenities will include a five-star restaurant, two main swimming pools, and three outdoor spa baths landscaped as billabongs. A stormwater holding pond is also planned to assist with watering the adjacent 18-hole Sandy Creek golf course.

Roberts estimates the traditional construction cost would range between $25 million and $30 million. However, he noted that the cost could fall to around $20 million if the villas were constructed using modular buildings from his company, BoxMod, an option he has kept open.

He confirmed that discussions are underway with several prominent companies for involvement in the project, with talks most advanced with Coopers Brewery and Wyndham Garden hotels.

Golf Club Backing

The Sandy Creek Golf Club, which owns the land, has agreed to sell the block to Roberts pending the approval of his development application.

Club treasurer David Weatherley welcomed the plans, noting the resort would greatly complement the club’s operations. “I would anticipate there would be several people who would visit to play the course and stay there,” he said, adding that the club’s existing facilities would likely see an upswing in patronage and could be used for special functions hosted by the resort.

The club has seen large-scale resort plans before, with another developer having planned a 142-room, three-floor resort for the site “seven or eight years ago” that did not proceed.

Public comment on the latest plans is open until January 2. Roberts stated his intent to file the revised plans with the State Commission Assessment Panel in February 2026.