THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
Piper, who owns Meriden Australia, purchased the leasehold for an undisclosed sum, however it had a market value of between $10 million and $12 million at the time. The leasehold includes more than a kilometre of water frontage. In 2011 the resort on the island was damaged by Cyclone Yasi. It was damanged again in 2013 by another cyclone and closed, before being among islands devastated by Cyclone Debbie in 2017. The island was part of a massive sell-off across the Whitsundays that included South Molle, Lindeman, Dunk, Lizard and Long islands after 2020. Meanwhile there is also movement with plans, sales and big dreams for North Curtis, Great Keppel and Double islands. Epochal owns and operates seven hospitality, dining and accommodation properties on the East Coast of Australia from the Whitsundays to Manly Beach, McMahons Point, Freshwater, Scarborough and Merewether.
Epochal Hotels chief executive Glenn Piper: We are the only island that has that opportunity to start from scratch.
February / March 2025 – 71
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