Latest News

Back to Latest News back

 

Downsized plans submitted for controversial Chinese cultural park on NSW Central Coast

Downsized plans submitted for controversial Chinese cultural park on NSW Central Coast
July 12, 2016

Massively scaled-down plans for the first stage of a controversial Chinese-themed cultural park at Warnervale on the NSW Central Coast have been submitted to the Central Coast Council.

Submitted last week, the development application is for stage one of the planned attraction, a Buddhist temple, at an estimated cost of $20.1 million instead of the original planned $83 million.

The Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate has reported that the “revised development remains shrouded in secrecy” with the applicant, Cardno Pty Ltd, and the project’s backers, Australia China Theme Park Pty Ltd (ACTP), refusing to release full details.

The Chappypie China Time project, being developed by ACTP, and once estimated at $500 million, has been variously described as a theme park, cultural park and ‘Chinese Disneyland’.

Developers had initially boasted the attraction would open this year but it has been beset by controversy, non-payment and delays.

Earlier this year the developers failed to pay the former Wyong Council the $10 million it had agreed to pay for the 15-hectare site on time.

At the time it had only paid about $100,000 in surety for the site, while documents released under freedom-of-information showed ACTP had secured the deal with only a $10,000 payment.

Former Wyong Mayor Doug Eaton, a major supporter of the project, used his numbers on council to vote to back the project.

To date $9.4 million of the purchase price is understood to be still outstanding with the Central Coast Council advising that, as of Monday, it had so far received $600,000 in deposits.

Fairfax media had previously revealed the Mayor's wife to be a shareholder in the theme park developer's ultimate holding company with Mayor Doug Eaton saying “he had no idea how his wife,  ... came to acquire the 10,000 shares”.

He suggested that they had been vested in her without her payment or knowledge.

ACTP has also used Chinese social networking service, WeChat, to apparently offer any potential major investors prepared to commit in excess of $1 million to the project the promise of a guaranteed Australian visa.

The company was instructed to remove an official NSW Government logo from its advertisements on the social networking website after it was found to have used them without proper authorisation.

There has been considerable speculation that China Theme Park’s ultimate aim is to rezone the land for a Chinese-investor based housing development – given the site’s proximity to the Pacific Motorway between Sydney and Newcastle.

One of the main opponents of the controversial theme park said the new DA should not be considered until ACTP had paid the Council the full $10 million for the land.

Former Wyong Councillor Bob Graham told the Express Advocate “the ratepayers of the Central Coast aren’t money lenders, and shouldn’t be treated as such.”

“It’s time to pull the plug on the whole project.”

Image: An artist's impression of China Theme Park's current cultural park.

15th July 2016 - QUESTIONS OVER CHINESE-THEMED VISITOR ATTRACTION ON THE NSW CENTRAL COAST

9th August 2014 - CHINESE THEME PARK TO OPEN ON NSW CENTRAL COAST AS OF 2016


Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

 

supplier directory

The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.

See the directory see all

Momentus Technologies

About: Momentus Technologies is a global provider of industry-leading venue and event management solutions that empower organizations to create extraordinary moments. With over 50,000 users in more…

read more

Entertainment / Events / Hospitality / Technology / Venues

 
 

GEOFF NINNES FONG AND PARTNERS

Geoff Ninnes Fong & Partners (GNFP) is a structural, aquatic and civil engineering consultancy with broad experience in the design of new municipal and institutional swimming pools, hydrotherapy…

read more

Aquatics / Consultants / Design / Venues

 
 

BODY BIKE APAC

BODY BIKE® International is a leading manufacturer of indoor bikes with a 20-year track record of creating the best indoor bikes. Stay connected with Body Bike Australia…

read more

Fitness / Recreation / Sport / Technology / Wellness

 
 

Felton Industries

Felton Industries is Australia’s leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of quality outdoor furniture and has been supplying premium seating solutions for all sporting, commercial, community…

read more

Parks / Play / Recreation / Sport / Venues

 
 

Aussie Strength

Commercial gym equipment supplier Aussie Strength was wound up at the end of 2022.    .aussie p { padding:20px; }

read more

Fitness / Technology / Wellness

 
 

Intelligenz Solutions

Intelligenz provides Leisure Management Software for managing all your Program Registrations, Facility Bookings, Membership Sales and POS Transactions; including detailed Reporting, automated…

read more

Access / Billing / Finance / Marketing / Technology

 
 

HRMWEB

At easyemployer we've come up with a software solution that manages one of your most important, and often most costly, business resources - your staff. We are helping 100s of clients to…

read more

Finance / Fitness / Technology

 
 

Ausfit

Ausfit began in 1992, providing software services to the health and fitness sector including ClubWise, a fully hosted web-based product which combines state of the art club management software,…

read more

Billing / Finance / Fitness / Technology

 
 
 
 

get listed with our suppliers directory

Get your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!

list your business