G'day Group to Invest $200 Million Across Regional Queensland Holiday Parks Ahead of Brisbane 2032

G'day Group, Australia's largest regional accommodation provider and a majority-owned portfolio company of Australian Retirement Trust (ART), has announced plans to invest more than $200 million across 12 regional Queensland holiday parks and resorts in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.

The investment program, disclosed Sept. 23, 2026, as ART's board and senior leaders convened in Townsville, spans properties across the state's coastal and inland tourism corridors and is intended to expand accommodation capacity, improve visitor facilities and support regional employment ahead of anticipated increases in domestic and international travel.

Townsville Leads the Expansion Program

The largest individually disclosed project is a $20 million expansion of Discovery Parks–Townsville, located at 6 University Road on the Bruce Highway in Wulguru. The upgrade will add 30 new cabins and 30 caravan and camping sites, along with new visitor facilities. The announcement follows a recently completed $5 million investment at the same property that delivered 18 new cabins.

"Our $20 million upgrade of Discovery Parks–Townsville will include 30 new cabins and 30 sites, plus new visitor facilities, building on a $5 million investment we've recently completed which delivered 18 new cabins," said Grant Wilckens, G'day Group Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "Together, these upgrades will expand the park's accommodation offering and increase capacity to support growing visitation to the region for major events and local attractions."

The staged approach — completing an 18-cabin phase before committing to the larger $20 million round — reflects an incremental capital deployment strategy that allows G'day Group to expand capacity using an established operating platform, existing brand infrastructure and in-place utilities rather than undertaking entirely new large-scale resort development.

Twelve Parks Across Queensland's Regional Tourism Markets

Beyond Townsville, the $200 million program covers properties across a broad range of Queensland's regional tourism markets. Parks slated for investment and expansion include Discovery Parks–Bargara in the Wide Bay region, Discovery Parks–Mackay, Discovery Parks–Coolwaters near Yeppoon in central Queensland, Discovery Parks–Noosa, Discovery Parks–Airlie Beach, Discovery Parks–Tannum Sands, Discovery Parks–Lake Tinaroo and locations within the Queensland Discovery Workstay portfolio.

G'day Group said it has already invested more than $110 million in regional Queensland over the past three years, including the acquisition of eco-tourism destination Habitat Noosa earlier in 2026. Previous Queensland developments at Discovery Parks–Fraser Street and Discovery Parks–Rockhampton generated an estimated $215 million in broader economic impact and supported approximately 1,720 full-time jobs as of July 27, 2026.

"We have invested more than $110 million across regional Queensland over the last three years including the acquisition of eco-tourism destination, Habitat Noosa, earlier this year," Wilckens said. "Significant developments across our Queensland properties including at Discovery Parks–Fraser Street and Discovery Parks–Rockhampton, have not only improved our parks for guests, but also generated around $215 million and 1,720 full-time jobs in broader economic impact."

ART Frames Investment as Long-Term Member Strategy

ART's Chief Investment Officer Ian Patrick said the G'day Group expansion illustrates how the superannuation fund deploys capital in long-duration assets that can deliver financial returns alongside regional economic benefits.

"Our investment in G'day Group shows how our long-term investments can support experienced operators to expand and improve their regional assets, particularly in sectors like tourism where we see strong long-term demand," Mr Patrick said. "The expansions aim to drive jobs and opportunities in these North Queensland regional areas, bringing benefits for communities and our members."

ART reported more than $375 billion in assets under management as of July 1, 2026, including more than $8 billion in Queensland-headquartered companies and assets across public and private markets. That Queensland portfolio includes more than $5 billion in major infrastructure assets such as Brisbane Airport and the Port of Brisbane, and more than $3 billion in ASX-listed tourism, property and other Queensland-based companies.

Market Context: Regional Tourism and the 2032 Pipeline

The investment is timed to a period of elevated demand expectations tied to the Brisbane 2032 Games. While Townsville and other regional Queensland locations are not primary Olympic venues, they stand to benefit from broader visitor dispersal, domestic road-trip travel, training activity and demand for accommodation outside the core host-city market.

Australia's caravan-park, holiday-house and other-accommodation industry is projected to generate approximately $5.5 billion in revenue in 2026, though industry revenue is forecast to contract by 1.3% in 2026–27 as households weigh domestic travel against overseas holidays and cost-of-living pressures. That creates a mixed near-term operating environment: long-term demand drivers — including regional tourism, outdoor recreation, nature-based accommodation and major-event visitation — are offset in the near term by household budget constraints and competition from international travel.

Supply constraints in regional markets also favor incremental park expansion. Quality regional accommodation is often difficult to add quickly because of planning, land, infrastructure and environmental approvals, meaning operators with existing parks can expand capacity more efficiently than new entrants building from the ground up.

The Queensland hotel market is entering the 2032 period with strong rate performance. Brisbane occupancy stood at approximately 76% for the year ending March 2026, with an average daily rate of $255 and revenue per available room of $195. Occupancy in Brisbane is forecast to exceed 80% before the Games, with average daily rates already more than 60% above pre-pandemic levels. A gross Brisbane hotel pipeline of approximately 2,938 rooms — reduced to about 1,765 probability-adjusted rooms for the 2026–32 period — underscores the role regional holiday parks can play in providing accommodation capacity in markets where traditional hotel supply is limited or expensive, though holiday park performance metrics differ materially from those of conventional hotels.

G'day Group's Scale and Growth Targets

G'day Group was founded by Grant Wilckens in 2004 with three caravan parks in Western Australia. The company has since grown to operate more than 100 holiday parks and resorts under the Discovery Parks and Resorts brand, with properties in regional destinations including Kings Canyon, Rottnest Island and El Questro. Its broader network includes more than 260 independently owned and licensed parks operating under the G'day Parks banner, along with the G'day Rewards loyalty program, which has more than 280,000 paid members.

The group also owns Wikicamps, described as Australia's largest regional travel community and the top paid app in the App Store with more than 300,000 monthly active users, and Bookeasy, a booking management systems and technology provider to destination management authorities in Australia and New Zealand.

G'day Group's property assets are valued at $2 billion. The company has set a target of reaching $4.5 billion in total business value by 2031.

"We are excited to develop new and expanded offerings in regional Queensland to welcome both local and international tourists ahead of the 2032 Games," Wilckens said.

Sources

Australian Retirement Trust — G'day Group Regional Holiday Parks Media Release