Tasmania Asks Developers to Pitch a Wellness Precinct With Thermal Bathing on Public Land
Research, standards and the sauna industry
- Published
- Reading time
- 2 min
SaunaNews is published by SaunaShare, Inc., which also runs SaunaShare.com and SaunaMarketplace.com, where we sell many of the products we write about. That experience may change what we write about and what we don't. Who owns SaunaNews
The state’s three-month Expression of Interest for Crown land in Northern Tasmania lists thermal bathing, hot and cold immersion pools and wellness lodging, with planning support for the winner. No site or closing date is public yet.
Tasmania wants a private developer to build a wellness precinct on public land in the north of the state, and thermal bathing is first on its list. The state government said on September 24 that it would open an Expression of Interest in October for a “landmark Wellness Precinct” on Crown land in Northern Tasmania. The call is open to developers, investors and operators and runs for three months, and the government will give planning support to the project it picks.
Northern Tasmania wellness precinct at a glance
- Who the Tasmanian Government, announced by Premier Jeremy Rockliff
- What an Expression of Interest for a privately developed wellness precinct
- Where Crown land in Northern Tasmania; no site named yet
- Possible pieces thermal bathing and spa, hot and cold immersion pools, luxury wellness lodging, retreats, nature walks, and longevity and preventive health programs
- Timing opens in October 2026 and runs three months
- What the state offers planning support for the successful project
- Source the Premier’s September 24 release
The government hasn’t said which piece of land it has in mind, how big the precinct should be or what it expects a developer to pay for the site. SaunaNews couldn’t find the EOI documents or a closing date as of October 27. The project sits under the government’s Northern Economic Plan, which grew out of a regional economic summit in July.
“Visitors are looking for opportunities to disconnect, recharge and reconnect with nature,” Rockliff said, as quoted by Spa Business. The government cites Tourism Tasmania research that found 22% of Australian travelers are strongly motivated by wellness and another 73% are open to wellness experiences.
The south already has two sauna and hot spring projects in motion
Two smaller projects already put heat or warm water on public land in the south of the state. In one, Parks and Wildlife ran an EOI for the Hastings Thermal Springs precinct in Hastings Caves State Reserve. It closed July 27, and submissions are still being assessed for a second stage. In Hobart, the city approved a temporary trailer sauna at Long Beach, Sandy Bay, in May. A private business will run it under a 12-month city license, with an option to keep running in the cooler months for two more years, according to the City of Hobart project page.
The northern call is bigger and looser than either. It reads like a destination resort brief, and it leaves the operator to decide how much of the precinct is bathing and how much is lodging and programs. US operators have seen a smaller version of this at home. Idaho’s parks department asked for a sauna and cold plunge concessionaire at Ponderosa State Park this spring. In Australia’s private market, Sense Of Self opened its Sydney bathhouse on October 8.
Operators who want the EOI documents should watch the Premier’s news page and Tasmania’s Crown land and tender listings. We’ll add the closing date and site when the state publishes them. Tips to hello@saunanews.com.
