Island Resort Seeks Approval for Cabin Variation

Luxury resort developer Ika Shima Pty Ltd, trading as Rumi on Louth, has lodged a planning variation to modify part of its exclusive resort project near Port Lincoln.

The proposal would replace four of the previously approved 26 luxury villas with 22 smaller cabins, creating a mixed accommodation offering designed to capture both high-end and budget-conscious travellers.

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The original approval, granted in February, allowed for 26 earth-sheltered villas built into constructed sand dunes. These low-visibility villas will remain central to the design vision, featuring private outdoor spas and fire pits, and carefully positioned across the island’s southern end to ensure a secluded guest experience. The revised plan would see 22 villas retained as approved, with the new cabins adding a more compact option across the 135-hectare site.

Each 20-square-metre cabin would accommodate two guests and sit on central piers to minimise earthworks. Planners noted that this approach reduces native vegetation clearance by almost 70 per cent compared with the original villa configuration. Just 0.26 hectares would be disturbed under the new design, compared with 0.84 hectares previously. Timber cladding and low-reflective materials are specified to ensure the cabins integrate with the natural setting.

Planning consultant URPS is managing the application through the State Planning Commission, where it has been classified as performance-assessed development, bypassing public notification requirements. With the island’s remote location, neighbouring objections that typically delay mainland projects are not expected to arise.

The $20-million second stage will also deliver recreational facilities such as tennis courts, outdoor gym spaces, yoga areas and a Japanese-inspired day spa. Adelaide entrepreneur Che Metcalfe, who purchased the island in 2022 after the $3.6-billion sale of telecommunications company Uniti Group, is backing the development. Stage one of the resort, a $30-million investment completed in 2024, already accommodates around 20 guests alongside fine dining facilities.

According to planners, the shift to include cabins not only broadens the financial viability of the resort but also enhances its environmental credentials, aligning with the growing expectations of sustainability-conscious travellers. Construction of the second stage is expected to commence soon after approval is secured.

Images via The Urban Developer