BOUTIQUE bed and breakfast hotels could soon sprout up across Redlands after council passed a two-year $1.75million package of incentives to bolster tourism accommodation.
The money, also earmarked for business incentives in the Cleveland CBD, will be used to pay for infrastructure charges and development application fees for businesses opening up tourism accommodation.
Under the package, rates and water bills will be discounted during construction of the accommodation and development applications will be assessed within 20 days.
All councillors voted for the package.
Division 1 councillor Wendy Boglary said the package was “cost-shifting” promoting tourism on to the ratepayer.
She also questioned whether any business was likely to be able to complete building in order to take advantage of the June 30, 2016 deadline.
Division 2 councillor Craig Ogilvie said the package was “limited” as it only helped tourism and not other sectors, such as education and a tertiary institution.
Mayor Karen Williams, who came up with the idea of the package, said the education sector was catered for in the CBD incentive package.
