The future of Noosa’s iconic Halse Lodge rests with Anglican Church Southern Queensland (ACSQ) as they wade through the mountain of expressions of interests received from others.
Anglican Bishop Jeremy Greaves said the campaign launched by the church in September to seek new visionary ideas for the 7,989sqm property had closed and there was a large volume of expressions of interest to be investigated.
“There’s been a really broad lot of options,“ he said. “Our preference is not to sell but to enter into another lease arrangement.“
Bishop Greaves said expressions had flowed in from all around Australia especially from some experienced upmarket accommodation and restaurant business owners.
The prime site only 150 metres from Hastings Street and with historical links to the pioneering days of Noosa tourism is currently occupied by a backpacker hostel, with a sub three year
lease remaining to Ecolodge Pty Ltd, which operates affordable accommodation and a bar/bistro from its four on-site buildings.
With the lease nearing an end it was an opportunity to reassess the return on the property, particularly since there had been a changeof zoning on the property from community to tourism, opening up the potential of it being
used for more boutique accommodation within the constraints permitted under the building’s heritage listing.
Owned by ACSQ since 1959 the property was taken to the market via an expressions of interest campaign run by Blake Goddard and Matt Barker of Knight Frank.
The original building was replaced in the 1920s with a larger building using some of the original materials. The heritage-listed building was then renamed Hillcrest and later renamed Halse Lodge. It is the last remaining timber accommodation building in Noosa and the longest operating guest house in south east Queensland.
Bishop Greaves said the next step in the process will be conducted in stages with a short-listing of expressions of interest then a final decision being made early next year.
