A Chinese investor has incorporated parts of a paradise island. Now the locals are not allowed to enter many of the once public places.
Keswick Island is part of the southern Whitsunday Islands and is located approximately 32 kilometers northeast of Mackay, a city in the Australian state of Queensland. In 2019 it became part of the paradise island* Leased from the Chinese contractor “China Bloom” for 20 million Australian dollars (12.4 million euros) – for the next 96 years. Since then the locals have had to live with many restrictions.
Keswick Island near Australia: Locals are denied access to the national park and the beach
In numerous places on the island there are now signs that forbid entry to once public places. These include the island’s 530 hectare national park and the dream beach of Basil Bay. Some entrances are even said to have been blocked with huge boulders.
Also the Runway for planes is no longer accessiblewhich, according to the locals, is arguably the worst limitation. If you want to come to the island, you have to do so by boat, but even the mooring that was created by the previous tenant has been removed. Instead, locals would now have to take a “much more dangerous” route over a footbridge that was newly built by the lessor Greaton Holdings.
“I’m stunned that something like this is happening in Australia,” said Julie Willis to the Australian news portal news.au.com. She had lived in rental accommodation on the island for six years before China Bloom gave her three days to leave the island. “We were told that long-term rentals are not allowed.” So we had to Airbnb operators cancel all of their bookings – even those of international tourists who wanted to arrive a week later.
A couple who ran a business on the island were given seven days to sort out all their affairs and get off the island. A man who had flown from Mackay to Keswick Island more than 1,000 times was supposed to remove his plane from the runway within twelve hours.
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Chinese investor wants to build a huge vacation resort
The investor wants to be on his part of the island build a vacation resort that can accommodate 3,000 tourists. For Willis it seems as if the locals, who are subtenants in this situation, are not wanted. “It’s as if they want it as a private island for Chinese tourists.” All attempts to arrange a meeting with China Bloom have so far failed. A Queensland government spokesman told news.au.com, “We are working with China Bloom to ensure that all relevant activities are in accordance with the terms of the lease, especially as China Bloom covers the roads, moorings, piers and marine infrastructure improved. ”However, the locals feel left alone by the government, Willis said. (fk) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network.
also read: Confusion about Canary Islands vacation: Are tourists still allowed to enter or not?
You should urgently avoid these mistakes in travel cancellation insurance
You should urgently avoid these mistakes in travel cancellation insurance- –
