Clive Palmer’s Coolum Resort closes

The future of Clive Palmer’s Sunshine Coast dinosaur park is in doubt, with the mining magnate turned billionaire closing the doors to the Palmer Coolum Resort yesterday.

Palmer purchased the former Hyatt Regency Coolum in 2011, promising to invest $2 billion into the resort to boost tourism on the Sunshine Coast. The resort includes a golf course, an auto museum, the Palmer Grill restaurant and the infamous Palmersaurus Dinosaur Park.

The Courier Mail reports the resort’s accommodation has closed, with general manager Simon Stodart announcing “an extensive overhaul” of the property will now begin.

The resort’s golf course is still open, as is the dinosaur theme park, the museum and the restaurant.

According to the Australian, 40 full-time employees have lost their jobs as a result of the accommodation section of the resort closing.

The Australian also reports the resort’s former general manager, Bill Schoch, is suing Palmer in the Queensland Supreme Court after he was sacked last year.

A former employee of the resort, Peter Yates, launched a separate unfair dismissal claim against Palmer in September last year.

This article first appeared on SmartCompany.