Construction Begins for Capricorn Coast Conference Centre
Posted on July 19th, 2023
Popular Capricorn Coast venue, Keppel Bay Sailing Club, has hit a new milestone with construction of the Conference Centre commencing.
Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, successfully secured $20 million of funding towards this project.
Ms Landry said the development of the convention centre will make an astounding impact on the Capricorn Coast community.
“I am proud to have delivered $20 million in funding for the Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Convention Centre and I am thrilled that construction is about to begin.
“We all know that job creation is essential and I am sure the boost to the local economy will be welcomed.
“The new state-of-the-art facility will put our region on the national stage and provide great job opportunities for our young people,” Ms Landry said.
General Manager of Keppel Bay Sailing Club, Mal Cochrane, said the Keppel Bay Sailing Club is regarded as the community hub of Yeppoon and Livingstone Shire.
“Over our history, many milestone celebrations and events have been held at the Keppel Bay Sailing Club.
“With the generous assistance of the Federal Government, and in particular the unwavering and ongoing support from our local MP Michelle Landry, that tradition will continue with a versatile facility that can host both small and large functions and can expand to host major events and conventions.
Progress is on track with the Club eying off the 2024 Youth Sail QLD Championships as being one of the first major events following the opening celebrations.
“We have had our history in mind every step of the way, it is our priority to remain true to the traditions of the Club whilst moving headfirst into an exciting future for the sport of sailing and the delivery of quality food and beverage services to our region,” Mr Cochrane said.
Capricorn Enterprise CEO, Mary Carroll, has been a fierce advocate for this project and has lobbied alongside Michelle Landry to see the Convention Centre come to life.
Mary Carroll said the organisation identified the need for conference facilities as one of their Regional Priority Projects since Capricorn Enterprise was formed in 2010.
“I commend the Keppel Bay Sailing Club and our Federal Member for Capricornia in responding to this need and I am very proud of our Organisation’s advocacy efforts to help bring this dream to a reality.”
“This amazing conference and sporting hub facility will help us attract more business and sporting travellers to the Capricorn Coast which will help grow our visitor economy,” Mary Carroll said.
Established in 1957, Keppel Bay Sailing Club has a proud history of sharing their love of sailing with the community.
Commodore Francois Gallais said the redevelopment of the club is an exciting milestone for the not-for-profit organisation.
“The development of the Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Conference Centre is an exciting milestone in the rich history of our Club and will help better fulfil the needs of our community for many decades to come.
“As a not-for-profit organisation, we exist to serve our community, members and patrons. Building the new state-of-the-art facilities is only possible due to the vision of our founding members and dedication of many volunteers and staff. We are also very grateful for the support and funding received from the Federal Government,” Mr Gallais said.
