In last December’s meeting councillors optioned to go to open tender, but a rescission motion was later lodged over the matter. Councillors Robyn Bain, Russell Fitzpatrick and Tony Allen proposed  to move to a selective tender process instead. 

This rescission motion was debated on Wednesday, where questions were raised over the difference between the processes as well as whether only five parties that had already submitted expressions of interest (EoI) in the hotel should be allowed to tender or if it should be opened to any organisation. 

The sale of Hotel Australasia in general was questioned by Cr Sharon Tapscott, who argued against a selective tender. 

“Who is benefiting from the rescission motion? The community or the developers?” Cr Tapscott said. 

When responding to questions, council’s director of strategy and business services Lucas Scarpin said the assessment process did not change between open or selective tenders, but the latter was only available to those council selected. 

In outlining her support for a selective process, Cr Robyn Bain said the five parties that had already submitted EoIs were locals who had “at their very hearts Eden and that building”.  

She said if council had an open tender it would have to sponsor a major advertising campaign and applicants may not all come from the South East.

“They may not see the value that building has to the community of Eden,” she said. 

Cr Allen said the main issue was about restoring the hotel’s facade to the way it was originally made.

He was concerned going from the five EoIs already received to the wider community would give “options for multinationals to come in”. 

“Why don’t we go into an open tender? To protect the facade as best we can,” he said. 

Mayor Kristy McBain said while discussion over the matter in December was rushed, there had been considerable debate over the hotel for the last few years. 

“The reason for the open tender is to keep this process as transparent as possible,” she said. 

The rescission motion was defeated 6-3, with Crs McBain, Tapscott, Liz Seckold, Cathy Griff, Mitchell Nadin and Jo Dodds voting against.