The Rottnest Island Authority has released a 20 year management plan for the island that proposes greater private investment in accommodation and a new marina.

John Driscoll, chair of the authority, said the plan was needed to address the ageing accommodation and infrastructure on the island, while allowing the authority to preserve the natural environment and heritage buildings.

“What we are hoping to achieve is a mix of accommodation on Rottnest,” he said.

“For those who love it as it is, there will still be accommodation as it is today.

“The plan is to allow private enterprise to have a stronger role in developing new accommodation and also managing some of the inventory that we already have on the island."

Launching the plan, Minister for Tourism Liza Harvey said the government was committed to making Rottnest affordable for holiday makers.

“When you have a bit more diversity in the investment on the island, more high-end investment, you can subsidise the family holiday style accommodation on the island,” she said.

“The first priority in any plan is that we maintain that availability and affordability of Rottnest to as many people in the community as possible.

“I’d be booted out of office in two seconds flat if Rottnest became an enclave for the rich and famous.”

Erosion threatening cottages

John Driscoll, Rottnest Island Authority chairman, said that winter erosion is threatening the beach front holiday cottages at Geordie and Longreach bays and that private investment may be the solution.

Holiday cottages at Geordie Bay, Rottnest Island ( Supplied: Charles van den Broek )

“A lot of people don’t realise that at Geordie Bay, the front row of houses is getting very close to the ocean and we can foresee that in maybe 20 years time we would be looking to rebuild at least the front row of Geordie,” he said.

“We are looking for private enterprise to take a bigger interest in how they might do that.

“What we hope to achieve out of the 20-year plan is a very strong feeling that Rottnest is open for business, that we are engaged with business people looking for way to improve services."

Under the plan the government would continue to run one third of the accommodation on Rottnest, with the remainder under private management.

The authority’s proposal also includes a plan for a commercial marina at the old army jetty at the southern end of Thomson Bay.

“All of the commercial activity that currently take place on the old tourist jetty, things like trucks unloading diesel, would be moved to a commercial marina,” said John Driscoll.

“The other side of the marina would be available to provide a safe haven for boats of all sizes, particularly smaller boats.”

Cost alarm

Labor’s Simone McGurk, MLA for Fremantle - which includes Rottnest Island - said the cost of travelling to and staying on the island is one that people raise often.

“My concern is that the plan says 'we’ll throw it open to the private sector and see how they go',” she said.

“I have concerns that just privatising the accommodation won’t do anything for affordability.

“The government does have a responsibility to manage the island and the accommodation to ensure that it is accessible.”

Mr Driscoll said Rottnest poses a unique problem for state governments.

“There are very few places in the world where we expect our government to provide a holiday resort for its citizens," he said.

“The underlying principle that the government has always had on that is that it must be accessible to all people.

“That’s admirable and that is what we are trying to achieve but the sort of investment that is required to fix Rottnest will need private investment.

“It is not practical to expect Government to rebuild accommodation for the people of Western Australia.”

View the plan on the Rottnest Island Authority website.