A tropical island in northern Queensland has been returned to Australian ownership after a Hong Kong businessman was stripped of the lease for letting it fall into disrepair.
Double Island, off the coast of Cairns, was previously home to a luxury resort that once attracted Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, but which closed a decade ago.
Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart spent years trying to get tenant Benny Wu to rebuild the ruined five-star facility and reopen the island before finally taking the case to the state’s land court.
In May it ruled that the lease granted until 2099 could be lost because its conditions (specifically, the operation of a facility or resort on the island) had not been met.
Stewart revoked the resort lease this week after Wu’s legal team failed to file an appeal by the deadline.
Mr. Wu’s Fortune Island Holding Company paid $5.68 million for the lease in 2013.
Mr. Wu was involved in mining and is the chairman of the private Hong Kong import-export company, Chang Yuang Group.
The island (pictured) was once a tourist hotspot located between Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.
Luxury glamping tents were once a feature but are now abandoned (pictured)
Crab nets and debris from the resort’s heyday litter the beach
Stewart said Double Island was officially returned to the ownership of the state of Queensland.
He said the result put island resort operators on the Great Barrier Reef on notice to honor their leases or risk losing them.
“The community and local members want to see Double Island open, thriving and available for use, as do I, and that is why I took this action,” Mr Stewart said on Friday.
The news was welcomed by local MP Craig Crawford, who said the result was “very brilliant”.
“It’s now back in the hands of Queenslanders,” he said.
‘This is the day we have all been waiting for after six long years.
“Many in the community did not think this day would come, but I knew that if we stayed strong, we would win.”
The government will now assess the island’s infrastructure and consult with locals over the coming months to draw up a plan to reopen the resort.
“We want Double Island to be restored to its former glory and accessible to locals and visitors,” Tourism Minister Michael Healy said.
“Queensland’s island resorts are the crown jewels of our state’s tourism industry.”
Opposition natural resources spokesman Dale Last said the Liberal National Party would preserve Double Island as an ecotourism asset if it won October’s state election.
Meanwhile, the population has been warned to stay away from the island.
Double Island Resort has been allowed to fall into disrepair (pictured) in recent years.
Double Island Resort was once a popular holiday spot in Far North Queensland (pictured)
One of the ruined safari huts that has been left in disrepair, covered in overgrown bushes.
“During this time, people should stay away from the old complex while steps are taken to assess and address any dangers,” Mr Stewart said.
“The complex has not been in operation for many years and is in disrepair and is not safe for the general public.”
In addition to reopening the resort, the lease required that vegetation be managed, that island facilities be maintained in good repair, and that mooring facilities be in good condition for use by the general public.
When the deal for Double Island closed in 2012, Wu said he planned to spend $10 million upgrading the resort to serve the “upper end of the market” among wealthy Chinese tourists and businessmen.
In its heyday, the island was a luxury destination with Polynesian-inspired villas, ecotourism tents and luxury apartments.
Hollywood star Keanu Reeves rented the island in 2001 when he was in Australia filming The Matrix and had a gym built especially for him.
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her then-husband Brad Pitt were his guests when the actor hosted a lavish and infamous New Year’s Eve party there.
The party reportedly cost $200,000 (US$150,000) and was also attended by a host of famous faces, including Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore and Kiefer Sutherland.
The celebrity party included a huge fireworks display on New Year’s Eve that surprised locals, who had no idea the island was full of Hollywood stars.
A visitor to the island who had kayaked there with a friend previously told Daily Mail Australia: “Staying there would be more of a ‘Survivor’ challenge than a luxury getaway.”
Safari-style tents intended for eco-glamping stays are covered in mold and moss, while debris including fuel containers, washing paraphernalia, dirty towels and abandoned tools litter the area.
Visitors to the island are warned not to trespass on land beyond the tide line and are told cameras are in use.
But it is still possible to see a seemingly abandoned house where rainforest plants are beginning to invade its once pristine garden; its plunge pool is empty and one bedroom balcony is unsuitable without a railing.
A gym is abandoned and apparently unused, but appears to be in good condition, although the equipment appears dated.
The outdoor dining areas, intended to be where guests enjoy a “sublime culinary experience,” are covered in a hodgepodge of antique furniture.
By contrast, a Cairns mansion Wu bought in 2020 is incredibly luxurious.
The work of Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio inspired the house, which features five-metre-high ceilings, 1,441 square meters of living space, four en-suite bedrooms and city views.
The palatial Italianate mansion (pictured above) in Cairns, far north Queensland, was sold to the Hong Kong businessman in 2020.
It has an uninterrupted view of the Cairns CBD (pictured above) from several terraces and the 17m blue mosaic pool.
