Dreamworld expansion plan in State’s hands
The future of a planned major expansion of Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld is now set to be in the hands of Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie.
The City of Gold Coast, led by Mayor Tom Tate, this week voted to ask Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie to “call in” the project and effectively take the approval process out of the council’s hands.
In a decision that spilt the council seven votes to seven votes before Cr Tate used his casting voting, the council decided that “the Mayor write to the Deputy Premier of Queensland, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations requesting the Minister exercise Ministerial Call in powers over the application”.
Dreamworld owner Coast Entertainment Holdings Limited told the Australian Stock Exchange that it “understands that the Minister is considering the matter but at this time he has not made any decision to commence the statutory call-in process”.
The drama centres on the company’s plans to significantly expand the developed Dreamworld envelope from 55 hectares to 85 hectares and include a town centre on the north-western side of the theme park.
The town centre area, known under the plans as Precinct 4, would include up to 13 buildings up to 16 storeys high and comprise a mix of hotels, apartments, function centres and restaurants.
The existing theme park would also remain in place while another parcel (Precinct 2) would be set aside for a nature-based tourism.
Coast Entertainment Holdings is keen to take to gain approval for the project so it could be completed in time for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
“At this stage council is still considering the Company’s preliminary development application and that process will continue unless and until the Minister exercises his call-in powers,” the company said in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange.
“The company has previously indicated that conditions proposed on its development application by the State Assessment and Referral Agency may be challenged if they were considered unduly restrictive, unworkable or otherwise onerous and were adopted by council when its decision is made.
“The company has publicly stated its commitment to continue to invest in its Theme Parks to deliver significant benefits for the Gold Coast region, to support the Queensland Government’s Destination 2045 tourism strategy and to provide critical needed infrastructure such as accommodation for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.”
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