First look at the $85 million luxury resort Ningaloo Lighthouse Holiday Park in WA’s Exmouth

This is the first glimpse of what the Andrew Forrest-led multimillion-dollar luxury resort in the tourist town of Exmouth could look like. The images, obtained exclusively, depict details of the $85 million Ningaloo Lighthouse Holiday Park transformation, which would be the biggest private accommodation development in the North since the Cable Beach Club Resort and Spa in Broome three decades ago. The world-class ocean-front resort, driven by the Forrest family-owned Tattarang investment group, would include a suite of accommodation options including powered caravan sites, eco tents, all-ages villas, and hotel rooms, with a capacity of 550 guests. Planned guest facilities and amenities also include restaurants, bars, swimming pools, a spa, tennis courts, a recreation and leisure centre, a children’s playground, a boat washdown and storage facilities, and a shop. There are also plans for a viewing deck to be built at the top of Vlamingh Head to provide visitors with better access to the existing lighthouse and to allow panoramic views of the site. Preservation of the Ningaloo coast is a key aspect of the design, and several sustainable initiatives are being considered, including renewable energy, solar panels, wind power generation, a single-use plastic plan, wastewater recycling and a bio digester for organic waste. A development plan was approved by the Shire of Exmouth council last May, subject to eight conditions including a coastal hazard risk assessment, a visual landscape impact assessment, and a lighting management plan addressing the impacts of light spill on nesting turtle habitats. The company has also hired Jules Bush, of Exmouth, to lead community consultation on the project to ensure the concerns and ideas of local residents are considered. A development application is due to be submitted to the Shire in coming weeks. Tattarang chief investment officer John Hartman said the project was set to benefit the local community as well as wider WA. “The Ningaloo Lighthouse Project promises to be a WA icon — a sustainable, considered development with the ability to create jobs and generate income for existing tourism providers,” he said. “The redevelopment will make a significant contribution to the local economy by boosting tourism opportunities and creating construction, tourism and hospitality jobs for the area.” All levels of government have supported the realignment of the connecting Yardie Creek Road as part of the project, to increase safety and access for motorists. Mr Hartman said safety was especially important considering many families with young children were expected to stay. The development is predicted to stimulate the beachside town, creating more than 120 local jobs during construction and injecting almost $18 million into the economy as well as bringing in more than $30m of income to Exmouth each year. Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods said the proposed development was fantastic. “In recent months Western Australians have had the opportunity to rediscover their own backyard, so to see this reinforced with such a significant new investment is very promising for the long-term outlook of WA’s tourism and accommodation sector,” he said. Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall welcomed the proposal and said an innovative new tourism product was essential to visitor appeal. “This innovative project will fill the gap for world-class accommodation and resort-style facilities which is expected by many guests,” he said.