Golf resort closes but staff snapped up
Laguna Whitsundays, just south of Proserpine, has closed and staff made redundant. After years of neglect the future of the once award-winning golf resort owned by David Marriner looks bleak.
Tourism Whitsundays chief executive officer Peter O’Reilly said it was a shame the resort had closed and that it would be a huge task to restore the facility.
“I wouldn’t be able to hazard a guess but there is a very large amount of work to be done; this would be a very significant project to be undertaken,” Mr O’Reilly said. “It is always a challenge for any resort that is geographically isolated and while Laguna was certainly better off than the islands, it was still tough.”
But the news for the staff is by no means as bleak. Ocean Hotels and Tourism’s general manager Michelle Boucher heard about Laguna Whitsundays shutting down and offered them positions at Long Island Resort and Club Crocodile Resort.
Mrs Boucher said she heard about the Laguna Whitsundays closing and immediately contacted MP for Whitsunday and tourism minister Jan Jarratt’s office. Mrs Boucher said four of the staff started today (29 February) and wants more.
Workers who have accepted the positions praised the work of Ms Jarratt’s office for liaising between the two parties.
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