Details released on Rottnest lodge redevelopment

The Rottnest Island Authority has released details of a $40 million plan to redevelop Rottnest Lodge, which incorporates a ‘gathering ground’ to pay respect to Aboriginal heritage.

The proposal includes 102 accommodation rooms, 47 of which are new and 56 will be refurbished, and a food and beverage facility, café and wellness centre, pools and service areas.

In May, the State Government announced Place Development Australia, GPA and Sirona Capital as the preferred proponents of the site, which is currently run by Karma Resorts.

Place Development Australia engaged Como-based cultural heritage consultant David Collard to inform the culturally sensitive aspects of the development, including a gathering ground to pay respects to the traditional owners of the site.

The gathering ground will be a multi-purpose space and where visitors can gather and share stories of the past and present through dance, recreational activities and cultural events.

According to the development application, the project’s team identified a “clear desire for the development to celebrate a positive, social connection with the Island and its Aboriginal culture” while being sensitive to its past.

The area has been amended to exclude sensitive heritage area ‘The Quod’, described as the Island’s most recognisable symbol of prison era history and constructed by forced labour of Aboriginal prisoners.

The Rottnest Island Authority is seeking public comment on the development application for the site and a public forum took place tonight.

Construction on the redevelopment is expected to start in June next year, with Karma’s lease expiring in May 2022.

The development is expected to be complete by late 2024.