A planning application has been lodged on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, for a AU$90m (US$83.4m, €62.4m, £49.7m) waterpark, to include a wave pool, waterslides, canoeing experience, 120-room hotel, restaurants and a holiday village.
Specialist consultancy Waterplay – which has previously worked on projects including Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia and Wadi Adventure Park in the UAE – has applied for planning permission on the 24 hectare (59 acre) site, close to popular attractions including Australia Zoo.
An independent economic report conducted by Waterplay indicates the development would create around 430 jobs in the construction phase, with 250 permanent jobs upon opening.
The proposed development will be built over two construction periods, with a water and surf pool – using Webber Wave Pools technology – built first, followed by the non-water elements such as the hotel and holiday village.
Waterplay hopes to begin work on the project by 2015, with the first phase of construction and opening of the waterpark coming during 2016.
The waterpark will serve a dual purpose, with Surfing Australia backing the project as “a high-performance training environment for surfers,” referring to the proposed facility’s surf pool.
