TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Residents of Australia's Keswick Island have accused a Chinese real estate company of forcing them to move after it acquired a lease giving it control of 20 percent of the tourist hotspot.

Situated 34 kilometers northeast of the Australian state of Queensland, Keswick Island is known for its majestic beaches and a wide variety of wildlife. It has been a popular travel destination for mainland Australians, who can reach the island via a short flight or boat ride.

In a recent interview with Australian news program "A Current Affair," former residents of Keswick Island accused Chinese developer China Bloom, which last year quietly purchased a 99-year lease on a portion of the island for business purposes, of blocking access to public beaches and parks. They said the company had also illegally put up "keep out" signs around the island and flattened a shoreline without a permit.

Julie Willis, who lived on Keswick Island for six years, told the news program that the Chinese company had blocked local residents from using boat ramps and the island's only airstrip. She said she was given three days to vacate from her home because China Bloom had "an issue with people renting on the island," adding that the company only wants to use it to attract Chinese tourism.

Another local, Rayna Asbury, pointed out that China Bloom has restricted homeowners from renting out their Keswick Island properties. She said the company has destroyed local tourism and even locked down the island's national park.

According to the program, 80 percent of the island not included in China Bloom's century-long lease is the national park owned by the Queensland Government.