Flashpoint: Tourism Minister Paul Papalia wants five-star Rottnest Lodge and better backpackers’ accommodation

Tourism Minister Paul Papalia wants to see Rottnest’s Lodge become a five-star resort and has renewed calls to improve backpackers’ facilities to lure young people to the island. Mr Papalia will appear on Channel 7’s Flashpoint tonight where the panel will discuss the standard of hospitality and accommodation options at Rottnest Island and whether they offer value for money. Long cherished by locals for its back to basics lifestyle coupled with stunning scenery, Rottnest is also perceived as run-down and expensive. Plans to revamp the Rottnest Lodge fell apart four years ago when the Karma Group backed away from its $20 million, 90-unit redevelopment. But the island had a glamping resort open last year and in October new luxury accommodation will open at Hotel Rottnest — previously known as the Quokka Arms — which has doubled in size to an 80-room resort with four pools and a function centre. Mr Papalia, said expressions of interest to improve the Rottnest Lodge were open. “That will be finalised shortly,” he said. “And in 2022, a build will commence on turning that into another five-star resort on the island. I’d really like to see the Lodge completed as another five-star hotel so we’ve got that full spectrum of offerings.” Mr Papalia said he was also keen to see more low-cost accommodation alternatives at the other end of the spectrum. “Something like a backpackers’ would be nice to entice that young adult cohort back to the island,” he said. “We get the young families — we always have. “We very shortly will have even better offerings for the high end and business travellers and functions and the like. “It would be nice to grab the young adults and have them have somewhere particularly suited to their requirements.” Panel member and former premier Brian Burke, who unsuccessfully pushed for a casino and resort to be built at Rottnest in the 1980s, said the plans were shelved because of a campaign by “a small part of the community” who did not want to see any change. He said Rottnest needed more infrastructure development to spread visitors across the island, including “two or three Hillarys-type marinas”. Rottnest Island Chamber of Commerce chair Deb Carr said no one wanted to end up with “a floating resort island” but agreed the island’s ferry entry point needed improvement. She acknowledged that changes to Rottnest had been a long time coming but said it now had recognition as a national tourism icon. Publican John Parker said Rottnest could become a genuine “foodie” destination. “I’d love to see that,” he said. “We’ve got such a special location so close to the CBD.”