Mayor’s Message

By Bass Coast Mayor Cr Michael Whelan

Renowned for tourism, Phillip Island is an international drawcard with increasing amounts of offerings for all ages and cultures. In fact, this year's MotoGP has filled up faster than any other year according to local accommodation providers and visitors who are scrambling to find a place to stay.

At this month’s Council meeting we approved development plans for a new $85 million waterfront hotel at the former Isle of Wight site on Phillip Island which is expected to create significant job and economic growth both in the short term and long term as well as help fill the gap for tourist accommodation.

Once built, this landmark location at 9-11 The Esplanade and adjoining land at 2-8 Bass Avenue, Cowes will feature a new seven-storey mixed-use hotel with 163 rooms, a pool deck overlooking the ocean, rooftop basketball and tennis courts, and a three-storey 49 room tourist/worker hostel with shared bathroom, kitchen, dining and lounge facilities.

There will be four food and beverage outlets, including a pub, bistro, hotel dining and a flagship restaurant has been included in the plans, as well as a yoga studio, gym and wellness centre, and two function rooms. 

Provision has been made for 197 basement car parking bays under the hotel.

The iconic 140-year-old Isle of Wight hotel, which famously played host to Fred Astaire, Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck during their filming of the movie On the Beach in 1958, was destroyed by fire in 2010. Since then, it has largely sat vacant.

For those of us who have been around a bit longer; it’s a moment of joy and pride to see the incredible revival of this beautiful tourist mecca. To know the sustainable development being created now will have a longstanding effect for generations to come is a marvellous feeling.

The Cowes precinct will benefit from more design and development to cater for our increasing local population but also for increasing numbers of tourists.

This development, along with our new cultural centre in the Cowes precinct, will continue to draw in more tourists from all around the world who can share with us the experience of our culture and heritage in this region.

There is significant social excitement around the island and surrounding areas that I’m hearing from all generations.

Council has shown foresight around this work for many years now and it’s an honour to be a Councillor and especially the Mayor while all this is being announced, knowing the significant amount of work so many people from all across our community have put into this vision for decades now.

With this new precinct, visitor economy strategies, affordable housing strategies, increased pathways for walking as well as streetscapes and shop improvement programs across the region, we are creating healthy and happy communities all together – and that is certainly something to be proud of.