Luxury western suburbs retreat hits major setback
Plans for a luxury day spa and wellness retreat on the Dalkeith riverfront have stalled, with developers asking for four more years just to make a start on the ambitious $25 million Tawarri Hot Springs project.
It took a long and sometimes bitter battle with the City of Nedlands and State Government intervention to get the hot springs facility approved in 2023, but a two-year deadline to begin construction expires next week without substantial work commencing.
The developers blamed soaring construction costs for the delay and the reason for requesting more time to start.
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'Labour shortages (and) supply chain issues have increased development cost and undermined the delivery of the Tawarri Hot Springs,' read a letter from Urbis planning consultant Tim Dawkins.
'Price increases have affected nearly every aspect of the construction.'
Mr Dawkins said the cost to build the facility in 2025 had nearly doubled to $45 million from the $25m price tag estimated two years ago.
Claremont Hotel proprietor and FJM Property principal Barry Jones is spearheading the wellness retreat dream, which former premier Mark McGowan called a 'strategic tourism attraction' for WA when he endorsed the idea in 2023.
The Tawarri dream attracted significant backlash from Dalkeith and Nedlands locals, including another former Premier Richard Court, throughout the approval process.
Nedlands Mayor Fiona Argyle told the WA Planning Commission that building it 'robs all West Australians of a magnificent foreshore.' An artist's impressions of the proposed Tawarri Hot Springs wellness centre and spa. Credit: Plus Architecture
The luxury spa development would be built on a 5508sqm lot along the Esplanade in place of the Tawarri Function Centre, which has been closed for seven years.
Plans show a range of indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, treatment rooms, a rooftop terrace and a licensed restaurant and cafe with indoor and outdoor seating.
Developers forecast that it would attract 142,000 patrons a year, including 14 per cent from overseas.
Public consultation on the request for a time extension closed on Wednesday ahead of the WA Planning Commission decision.
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