In order to attract wealthy Chinese tourists to the picturesque east coast of Tazhou, a 100 million yuan development project is only one step away from implementation, the Times reported. The development also includes a golf course and a health resort.
But the ambitious plan worries many residents that the state's booming tourism industry will have an impact on the natural madness here.
The Cambria Green project, carried out by Chinese and Australian investors, has been approved in advance for 3185 hectares of agricultural land.
The farmland is located between the towns of Dolphin Sands and Swansea, where 645 residents live in Swansea.
A house built in the 1820s will be rebuilt and will form the center of the project. The house overlooks Great Oyster Baty and Freycinet National Park.
The development also proposed the construction of airstrips, conference centres and hospice services.
Richard Hu, director of the development company, said: "hospice agencies are mainly in big cities right now, and these people don't see anything, they just stay in one room and die quietly like this, which is not the way we want to die. I want to die in a beautiful place. "
The unprecedented scope of the development has sparked strong opposition from nearby residents who fear that the development will undermine the quiet beauty of the area. It is reported that the development may include 70 villas, 120 rooms and 240 units.
Last week, the local city approved a re-zoning plan for 12 plots of agricultural land.
Michael Kent, the mayor of Glamorgan Spring Bay, said the development would bring a big boost to the region, where many young families have moved because of the economic backwardness. The average age of the population on the east coast of Tazhou is 65. We need to get young people back, but we need to be able to provide jobs. "
But Kent also said he understood why some residents were disgusted with the development because they "escaped from the concrete jungle to find a quiet and beautiful place to settle down." But we still have to weigh the potential impact of this development and the money it will bring. "
What makes the locals even more angry is the speed at which the development plan was announced. A few days after the plan was announced, the city announced at a meeting that it had approved amendments to the plan.
Congressman Jenifer Crawford is one of the three members who voted against it. She said the community has many concerns about the proposal, including the impact on local wildlife and the granting of land to tourism. The tourism industry is growing, and tourists are here because of its natural beauty, but we must be careful not to destroy it at the time of development. One of the priorities of the development plan is to attract wealthy Chinese tourists to the East China Sea coast of Tazhou. As elsewhere in Australia, China has become a key growth market for tourism development in Tazhou.
Last year, the number of Chinese visitors to Tazhou increased by 60% compared with the previous year. Overall, in 2017, a total of two hundred and seventy eight thousand nine hundred and ninety nine overseas tourists visited Tazhou, spending nearly four hundred and ninety six million nine hundred and ninety nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine yuan.
Ronald Hu, chief executive of Cambria Green's agriculture and tourism management, said the state had little choice of accommodation for those who did not want to stay in cabins or hotels. In particular, there is a lack of facilities for some high-end tourists. These tourists don't worry about money, they just want good service. "
High-end Chinese tourists will be attracted to the resort, Hu said, but they also hope to attract Australians and other overseas tourists.
"they can play golf, have quality holidays, and have weddings. Visitors can get what the city can't get here. "
Some people may come here to die. Hospice is also one of the development plans. The hospice facility will be open to people with terminal illnesses who may want to see something beautiful before they die, Hu said.
A 42-day consultation will be conducted among community residents before the development is finally submitted to the Tahrena Planning Board for approval. If successful, the developer will submit a development application.
Sophie Underwood, head of the local Freycinet Action Network agency, said residents wanted to see the details of the development application as soon as possible.
She says she has never seen such a fierce response from community residents in the 25-year career of reviewing planning decisions. Tourism is of course important, but Tasmania is not only a tourist attraction, but there are people living here. Is this really the tower state we want? "