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Community
History and Background of Tropixx Motel
Community Minded, commercially oriented, making a difference. The owners and management of the Tropixx Motel are proud of its friendly and helpful staff, its high attention to service, the design and cleanliness of its rooms and its award winning services.
However, beyond that, the owners of the Tropixx Motel and Restaurant are also very proud of its unique history and equity structure – The Why and How of how Tropixx came to be.
For those in the know, the story lies within the ‘XX’ in the title. XX is the Roman numeral for twenty.
Its owners are twenty local families and business people in the Ingham region who have the commitment to the district to directly invest in its future through the construction and operation of a much needed four star accommodation and dining facility.
The Tropixx has been a work in progress since 2002 with operations commencing in December 2008. In order to achieve this significant outcome, our management team has had to remain focussed and communicate the objectives and project progress to the on-going satisfaction of those twenty investors. This has been no mean feat and Tropixx is very proud to have successfully achieved this.
In early 2002, a presentation by the local tourism associated to the North Queensland Area Consultative Committee identified the need for a new motel to increase the availability and standard of accommodation in the Herbert River district and hence improve Ingham and district’s standing as a tourist destination in North Queensland. After further investigation, a small group of local business people commissioned AEC (Australian Economic Consultants) to conduct a feasibility study into the development of a four star motel. The feasibility study indicated modest success within various scenarios which prompted the group to pursue the purchase of an appropriate block and commissioning of an architect. The company Straloch Pty Ltd was formed to undertake these roles as well as to identify and procure finance to ‘make it happen’.
After a presentation to local business people in June 2003, of the architect’s schematic and company objectives, twenty local families agreed to contribute over 2 million dollars in equity. Such a positive response demonstrates the recognition within the community that such a project is greatly needed in order for the district to stay in the ball game with respect to the tourism market. Tropixx Pty Ltd was incorporated as the operating entity of the business.
Construction of the Tropixx Motel commenced in December 2007 and was completed in December 2008 with only moderate cost overruns and a just few weeks behind schedule.
Industry of Ingham
Ingham is the commercial centre of the Hinchinbrook Shire. A relatively small town, Ingham has a population of only 5,075 in the town itself and approximately 13,500 in the shire. Ingham is known mainly for sugar cane farming. Victoria sugar mill, the largest sugar mill in Australia and one of the largest in the southern hemisphere, owned by CSR Limited, is located close to the town. Much of the cane is transported to the mills by light tramlines. Other industries in the Ingham area include; Cattle, Farming, Fishing, Timber and Tourism
Community
The Ingham community is rich in cultural heritage and has a strong Italian influence as almost sixty percent of the town’s population are of Italian descent. The district’s overwhelming Italian heritage is also the foundation for one of the town’s most well-known festivals – The Australian Italian Festival – which is celebrated annually during the month of May. Other annual happenings including the Ingham Car & Bike Xtravaganza, Maraka festival, Ingham Races, Sugar City Rodeo and the Ingham Wings and Wheels Airshow are just some of the must see events in our town.
