A Northern Tasmanian developer who put his hat into the ring to buy coastal land is threatening legal action as he claims he was told he had the preferred submission from an expression of interest (EOI) process.
Burnie City councillors will vote on August 25 to authorise general manager Shane Crawford to place the land at Cooee Point on the market for sale after the council "was unable to identify a suitable submission", according to a report in this month's agenda.
Red Panda Collective founder and chief executive officer Andrew McCullagh already owns some land in the area, which he plans to build 10 residential blocks on.
If successful, he wants to add a hotel to a place that he calls "one of the unhidden secrets in Burnie".
Mr Crawford said while he would not go into specifics of the expression of interest submission, he could "certainly guarantee that no agreement exists between the council and any party".
Mr McCullagh, who offered more than $6 million for the site, outlined what his plans were.
"My vision is to put a hotel out there and a real little food and wine and gourmet precinct," he said.
"The other thing that's changed dramatically is the train line going from a train line to a bike track.
"That one change has changed that whole area into a golden spot."
Mr Crawford outlined how each submission was assessed.
"Submissions were assessed not only on price, but also on the merit, suitability and vision of the proposal, with careful consideration given to the site's unique coastal setting and zoning," he said.
"Any decision regarding the future of Cooee Point will be made through the appropriate council process and in accordance with relevant legislative and governance requirements.
"The thoroughness of the process should demonstrate to the community that a great deal of responsibility and consideration is being undertaken in relation to this valuable parcel of land."
Mr McCullagh, who is a Northern Midlands councillor and a mayoral candidate in the upcoming local government elections, expressed his disappointment with the situation as they "were well advanced and ready to go".
In a letter seen by ACM sent from Mr McCullagh to Mr Crawford, Mr McCullagh said "should written confirmation that [the] council will honour the original arrangements not be received by 8 September 2026, the matter will be referred to our solicitors without further notice".