Wyong Shire is set to become the theme park centre of NSW after stage one plans for a $500m Chinese development at Warnervale were unveiled today.

The owners of the proposed Chinese Cultural Theme Park have developed extensive plans for a Chinese-themed Disneyland on a 15 hectare site purchased from Wyong Council for $10m.

media_camera An artist’s impression of the Chinese theme park at Warnervale features a standing Buddha in the centre.

Wyong mayor Doug Eaton received plans which will form part of the Development Application for the first stage of the park — the thanksgiving Temple — which includes three main buildings and statues of “White-robed Guanyin” and “Thousand-hand Guanyin”.

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Due to open in stages from early 2016, if approved, the theme park will have 12 main sections — including the Meridian Gate, thanksgiving Temple, Zheng He’s Treasure Ship, arts and crafts workshop, Spring Festival Square and Panda Paradise.

media_camera The Chinese theme park at Warnervale is expected to be a major national tourist attraction.

The park, to be called Chappypie China Time, aims to integrate Chinese ‘culture, nature and spirit’.

Visitors will enter via The Red Gate and through to the Forbidden City, with a flying golden dragon winding its way through the park.

A variety of entertainment, cultural, accommodation and retail areas are included such as a history of calligraphy, a theatre for traditional drama and musical performances, Chinese landscape gardens, and a panorama of Chinese history.

media_camera Wyong Mayor Doug Eaton with Bruce Zhong - CEO Australia Chinese Theme Park launch of new plans for Chinese theme park at Warnervale.

CHAPPYPIE CHINA TIME: PARK FEATURES

● Small laneways leading off the main square to various arts and handicrafts displays, Chinese food and teahouses;

● A river flowing around the park with traditional dragon boats passing under bridges and willow trees;

● A giant ship which will be both a ride and a celebration of shared maritime history between Australia and China.

media_camera Wyong Mayor Doug Eaton with Bruce Zhong say the park would be a major boost for the local economy.

GOLD BUDDHA PLAN DROPPED

Original plans to include a giant laughing golden Buddha have been scrapped, however a standing buddha will remain in the centre of the site.

Mayor Eaton said it was incredibly exciting to get to the stage of lodging a Development Application and to see the sheer scale of the project.

``I’ve truly never seen anything like this before — it’s going to blow people away when they watch the video and get a sense of how big and imaginative this concept really is and what it can do in terms of tourism for our shire,” he said.

media_camera An impression of the theme park at night.

``The developers have long been telling us that this theme park will be up there with the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge in terms of tourist attractions and I’ve got to hand it to them — it’s absolutely in that category.

``I think what you see today is just the beginning. Wyong Shire is now set to become the theme park centre of NSW’.

The mayor said the project represented an incredible boost for the shire’s tourism and economic development and would not only create jobs but have a flow on effect to local retailers and the hospitality sector.

Plans described for Chinese theme park at Warnervale

LAND DEAL

Council sold the land, which is adjacent to the Warnervale Airport, to the Australia-China Theme Park Pty Ltd in 2012.

Bruce Zhong, CEO of Australia-China Theme Park said the Mayor of Wyong was willing to back his company when no one else would,.

``The Mayor understands Chinese culture and the need for local government involvement in terms of attracting Chinese investment and now the results are in for everyone to see,” he said.

CHINESE TOURISM INCREASING

In-bound Chinese tourism to Australia has been steadily increasing in the past few years, with 700,000 tourists spending over $4 billion in 2012, according to a report by Tourism Australia.

With Chinese tourism growing by an average of 20 per cent each year, Destination NSW’s China Tourism Strategy predicts that the value of Chinese inbound tourism to NSW will almost double by 2020, becoming NSW’s largest international market in terms of visitor arrivals, visitor nights and expenditure.

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