The 120 hectare World Culture Tourism Village site and its planned usage: 1. Theme Park Super Lot, 2. The Australian Reptile Park, 3. Community Outdoor Spaces, 4. Destination Shopping Outlets, 5. Theme Hotel and Function Centres, 6. Cultural Industry Quarter and Museums, 7. Eco Adventure Zones, 8. Botanical Gardens and Cafes, 9. Global Immersive Short Stay District, 10. Water Shows and Recreation Area, 11. Wave Park, 12. Potential Residential Development, 13. Eco Leisure Tourism Area and 14. Eco Conservation Area.
A new type of Tourism Precinct A reimagining of land including the Australian Reptile Park site is proposing to deliver a landmark tourism precinct
T
he owners of a 120 hectare parcel of land on the NSW Central Coast that encompasses the former Old Sydney Town attraction have lodged plans to transform the site into Australia’s first comprehensive tourism industry precinct, combining a wide
range of cultural tourism, recreation and entertainment experiences. World Culture Tourism Village (WCTV), which purchased the site in 2018, is furthering their vision for the site which would combine 14 tourism elements and could reuse parts of the Old Sydney
The Australian Reptile Park (and below right) is the Central Coast’s premier tourist destination.
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Town while also potentially expanding the Australian Reptile Park, the region’s premier tourist destination attracting some 300,000 visitors annually. Just over an hour’s drive from central Sydney, and located at the Gosford exit of the Pacific Highway, Somersby and with the Brisbane Water National Park on its western boundary, the area is a high priority for re-development as identified in the Central Coast Regional Plan 2036. The Sydney-based consortium is currently seeking a rezoning for parts of the site - currently zoned as E4: environmental living - as well as Expressions of Interest from operators and investors who want to be part of stage one of the precinct’s redevelopment as well as its later phases. Covering around 20% of the site, proposals for the first stage include an artificial surf wave attraction, local agricultural-based food and beverage outlets, artist workshops and studios, short-stay accommodation, an Aboriginal Cultural Centre recognising the Indigenous caretakers of the Central Coast and extended car parking facilities for the Australian Reptile Park. The WCTV executive team have advised that the consortium’s plans for
