Thursday, March 28, 2024

$500M theme park deal in NSW, Australia made official

Image: Wyong Shire Council

New South Wales, Australia — Wyong Shire Council has officially signed an agreement to sell land that will soon be developed into one of the biggest tourism projects ever seen in NSW. At the November 28 Council meeting, Council approved the sale of 15.7 hectares of land at Warnervale to the Australian Chinese Theme Park Pty Ltd (ACTP) for $10 million, for the purpose of constructing a $500 million Theme Park.

On December 2, Mayor Doug Eaton signed the agreement to sell the land in front of Mr Aimin Fu, the Director Consular representing the Chinese Consular General, and representatives of the ACTP at the Shanghai Stories Chinese Restaurant in Chatswood. State Member for Wyong Darren Webber was also in attendance. “This is undoubtedly one of the most momentous occasions in the history of this Council, and the Central Coast,” Mayor Eaton said.

“What this proposal will do is turn the Wyong Shire into a tourist mecca and bring millions of dollars worth of tourism into the area … which will have a flow on effect to the entire region’s economy. Outside the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, this has the potential to be among the biggest tourist attractions in the State. Council is genuinely excited by this project and personally, I cannot wait for construction to officially start. By selling this land, we have not only made a significant profit, but we have set in place a unique and, in time, iconic tourist venture that will benefit the entire Central Coast. This is indeed a very historic occasion and I congratulate the Council staff and Councillors for their support and enthusiasm towards this project. I would also like to thank the ACTP for their commitment towards getting this off the ground and realising Wyong Shire was the best area in the country to accommodate such a development. They are the ones investing the money, Council has merely supported them.”

It is anticipated that construction on the Theme Park will start in 2015, and the whole project will be completed by 2020. Upon completion, the Theme Park is expected to provide between 1500-2000 jobs. The Park will comprise seven sections including: China City Gate entrance, Tang and Song Academy, Water Towns in South China, Wyong Theatre, Panda Paradise, Royal Villa and Thanksgiving Temple.

The first stage of construction is expected to start in 2015 and include the City Gate, Temple, Water Town and Academy. The remainder of construction is expected to start in 2018. Chairman of the ACTP Bruce Zhong said he was delighted the land is now secured. “This is just the beginning and we will now work hard to start detailed planning work,” Mr Zhong said. It is going to be a unique $500 million tourist attraction, employing more than a thousand people and bringing economic prosperity to Wyong Shire. We have received great support from the beginning from the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. They twice sent a delegation to visit Wyong and the land. Without Council’s great help and support, we wouldn’t have achieved this and I hope we can continue to work closely for the project and for Wyong Shire’s future prosperity.”

Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin
Judith Rubin ([email protected]) is a leading journalist, content marketing specialist and connector in the international attractions industry. She reports on design and technical design, production and project management, industry trends and company culture. From 2005-2020 she ran communications and publications for the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). In 2013, she was honored with the TEA Service Award. She was development director of IMERSA and publicist for the Large Format Cinema Association, and has contributed to the publications of PLASA, IAAPA and the International Planetarium Society. Judith joined World’s Fair magazine in 1987, which introduced her to the attractions industry. She joined InPark in 2010. Judith earned a BFA from Pratt Institute. She has lived in Detroit, New York, Oakland, and now Saint Louis, where she is active in the local arts community.

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