Whitsunday Skyway Base Location Incites Community Concerns

Photo source: Skyway Development

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The Whitsunday Skyway has been promoted as a game-changing tourism project for Airlie Beach, but residents living near the proposed route say they still have questions about consultation and the project’s changed footprint.

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The state government announced the project’s Prescribed Project status on 3rd June, a move intended to streamline approvals for the proposed 1.8-kilometre cableway which has been officially planned since 2026 but a point of discussion for 20 years.  

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The project, backed by a $5 million state government commitment, is expected to include a summit station, luge-style ride, dining and cultural experiences, events facilities and walking tracks, with the government saying it could create up to 390 jobs during construction and at least 80 jobs once complete.

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“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of the Whitsundays in an innovative way,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie.  

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“Declaring the Whitsunday Skyway Project as a Prescribed Project is a clear message to the people of Queensland that we are serious about delivering infrastructure that creates jobs and drives economic growth.”

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However, residents of Raintree Place near the proposed location of the project, have spoken out, stating their concern is not with the concept of the Skyway itself, but with more recent changes to the proposal, including the relocation of the base station to Waterson Way. They allege that these changes were implemented without direct consultation with nearby households.

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According to local resident Pascale Whyte, a Variation Request lodged by the proposal’s consultants on 8th August 2025 relocated the cableway base station from its original site at the end of Raintree Place, behind nearby homes, to 45–71 Waterson Way in central Airlie Beach.

The document stated the changes are intended to provide greater access to the Airlie Beach tourist precinct and improve access for cruise ship passengers arriving through the Port of Airlie.

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Pascale claims that she represents a group of residents who were not directly notified of the change, only becoming aware of the relocation through a AATG WOU shareholder announcement filed on the National Stock Exchange on 26th September 2025.

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“Our base station was relocated from the hillside behind us to the centre of Airlie Beach without any consultation with us,” she said.

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“They did a submission of change which no one knew about, putting the Skyway base station at the front of us in town.

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“People still aren’t aware of it.”

These changes, according to Pascale, mean the skyway line would run in intrusive proximity to their properties.    

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In addition to the property impact, residents have raised environmental concerns in conjunction with the project’s layout.  

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Their concern is that clearing vegetation for the proposed luge and surrounding infrastructure could leave the steep hillside more vulnerable to erosion or landslides during heavy rain and cyclones.  

Pascale pointed out the example of Queenstown, New Zealand. Back in 2023, a major landslip directly linked to their Skyline project caused a nighttime evacuation, 10 houses to be deemed unsafe to inhabit and millions in damages.

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The group hopes Council’s Draft Environment Strategy will introduce stronger safeguards for areas like Conway National Park, following the passage of Queensland’s controversial Critical Minerals legislation on 27th August.  

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“They have just passed a law that lets a private luge and cable car be treated as more strategic than the residents who live underneath it,” Pascale said.  

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“In Queensland, we call that losing your rights to a fair go.”  

The group is asking for the base station to return to its originally proposed mid-hill site behind Raintree Place, rather than the revised site near their homes.

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“We don’t oppose the development,” Pascale said.  

“We want to be able to have a say.”

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As the proposal moves through the formal assessment process, engineering and design studies will be undertaken to examine ground conditions, visual impacts and potential noise from the development.

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A spokesperson for the Whitsunday Skyway Project said:  

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“WOU continue to work closely with the  Queensland State Government  and the Whitsunday Regional Council and are committed  to providing full transparency to the community and residents in relation to planning approvals and alignments at a time when certainty can be provided.”  

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