Advanced Search

Share Coverage



Category: Regional Development / States and Territories

Jobs boost in Flinders Ranges as motel gets tick of approval

Saturday, 27 Feb 2016 05:50:11 | Nicola Gage

Sally Brown looks over the block set to be redeveloped in Quorn after her family was given approval to build a motel. (ABC News: Nicola Gage)

A Flinders Ranges family has been given approval to build a multi-million-dollar motel that will help boost local jobs, at a time when South Australia is facing the nation's highest unemployment.

Key points:

  • A 34-room motel will be built in Quorn, in SA's Flinders Ranges
  • It will boost local construction jobs in the region
  • Nine full-time staff will be employed when it has been completed

Construction of the Great Northern Lodge in Quorn will begin next week.

Director Sally Brown said the 34-room motel should be completed next year and would employ nine full-time staff.

"It's massive for such a small town, it's just going to open up so many opportunities and make our town grow bigger," she said.

The motel will be located on the main street of the 1,000-strong tourist town, next to the family's existing business.

It is a huge boon for the region, which has struggled with job losses at Leigh Creek and Port Augusta.

"With the building, we are looking at using all local sub-contractors and tradespeople," Ms Brown said.

The Brown family received a $400,000 regional development grant from the State Government to ensure the project got off the ground.

"For them to believe in us and believe that it will work in such a small community like Quorn is amazing," Ms Brown said.

"We're a family that's doing this and we're taking a huge risk — we've had obviously a lot of issues along the way.

"But we've just had so many people behind us — the State Government, the local council, the community of Quorn.

"In small communities a lot of people, I guess, aren't really for such a big development but we've had nothing but good vibes from the town."

Motel to bring more tourists to Flinders Ranges

The State Government has highlighted tourism as a major growth area to create jobs in South Australia.

Ms Brown said she hoped the motel would bring more tourists to the region and help other businesses.

"There's a market that we still don't have here in Quorn so we're hoping to tap into that," she said.

"We're looking at four-and-a-half star and enough to suit a bus for coach tours and study groups."

Ms Brown said several movies had been filmed in the town and the new accommodation could made it more attractive.

"It's just going to open the door for more movies to be filmed here because obviously we'll have the accommodation for them."

AustraliaPlus


 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend