Iconic Mackay pub faces resort overhaul
One of Queensland's most recognised coastal pubs is set for a dramatic transformation, with plans lodged to demolish the Eimeo Hotel and replace it with a multistorey resort complex featuring rooftop dining, a pool precinct and nearly 190 accommodation rooms and units.
A development application for the Mango Avenue site reveals a resort-style redevelopment spread across the steep coastal headland overlooking the Coral Sea — a significant departure from the beloved low-rise pub that has occupied the site for more than 70 years.
The proposal centres on a three-storey hotel with 53 rooms, a restaurant, bar and rooftop dining area designed to capture sweeping ocean views. Five accommodation buildings would ring the perimeter, delivering 133 units across one, two and three-bedroom configurations. Planning documents describe a terraced design shaped by the site's challenging terrain — with slopes exceeding 80 per cent — embedding buildings into the hillside and stepping toward the ridge line.
The Stayte family, which has held the property for close to 90 years, released a statement on April 8 acknowledging the weight of the decision. "Our family's connection to the land started in 1932, when Lavinia Walters/Drisscol first purchased the property".
The statement paid tribute to the pub's founder: "The current pub was built in 1954 by Lavinia, a pioneering woman whose determination and vision helped shape not only our family's future, but also the early development of this neighbourhood."
Despite the emotional significance of the farewell, the family expressed optimism about what comes next. "While it is never easy to say goodbye to a place so full of personal history, we approach this next chapter with optimism," the statement said. "Lavinia believed Eimeo should always have a public house accessible to locals and visitors. We believe the new residential/hotel development will honour the spirit of progress that Lavinia embodied; while contributing positively to the community she helped pioneer."
Visual impact modelling submitted with the application shows the existing pub — currently nestled among vegetation — would be replaced by a multi-level complex visible above the tree line from Bucasia and Eimeo beaches, with the overall effect rated "moderate" by the accompanying assessment.
Infrastructure challenges loom large. A traffic impact assessment estimates the project would generate around 1,167 vehicle trips per day, while engineering reports project more than 100,000 litres of wastewater daily — raising capacity concerns across five pump stations before reaching treatment facilities.
The application also pushes back on coastal hazard mapping, with Earth Environmental director John Gunn arguing the site is a stable rocky headland that does not warrant state referral, citing more than two decades of experience observing minimal erosion at Eimeo Beach.
The application was lodged by Eimeo Pacific Hotel Pty Ltd, with landowner consent from Donald Frederick Stayte. Mackay Regional Council has been aware of the proposal since at least May 2024.
Jonathan Jackson, 9th April 2026
