A project touted as Australia’s largest water play park will be opening up in 2023, right on the doorstep of the Central Coast at Morisset and the $235M project is set to be a showstopper.
The aqua park, along with a massive outdoor concert venue, cafes, restaurants, a fancy new hotel, tourist park and an over-55’s lifestyle residential village, will be on the grounds of the former 90ha Morisset Golf Club on Wyee Rd.
Approval of the development by Lake Macquarie Council comes two years after the golf club was forced to close when the landowner reclaimed the property in August 2019, ending the club’s 50 years as a community hub in the area.
The arrival of the new development, named Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie, is set to be a huge drawcard for the region pulling in tourists and visitors from near and far.
Developers behind the project, Winarch Capital, said the precinct was in an ideal position, just one hour from Sydney, with strong population growth and exceptional access to the M1 and major commuter rail links.
Winarch Capital Managing Director, Paul Lambess, said Lake Macquarie Council had given the green light to five out of six development applications for the project, including subdivision and sale of part of the site to Ingenia Communities.
Approvals had been sought to split and develop the site into four precincts consisting of: the family and community space; a cultural, arts and events space; tourism accommodation; and lifestyle living.
The events space, which includes an amphitheatre with capacity to host 30,000 people, takes up 40 per cent of the entire site.
“We got approval for all but one – the development application for the live music event venue – because we need to do further studies, but we expect it to be approved as soon as we’ve done what’s required,” Lambess said.
Approval was also given for a tourist park to accommodate 300 camping caravans and cabin sites.
The former golf clubhouse will be redeveloped in a family and community precinct featuring cafes, restaurants, gardens and giant water splash park.
The water park will feature up to eight water slides, two water dumpers, a large run-through sprinkler, a mini lazy river and up to 20 10ft-high sprinklers shaped like leaves and flowers.
“We’ll get started straight away because we still want to be open by September next year, obviously depending on the virus situation,” Lambess said.
“There’s a strong need for economic activity at the moment so we can play our role as a catalyst by being a key employer and add construction activity in the area.
“The Cedar Mill project could contribute more than $790M to the local economy and create about 1124 jobs during construction.”
Ingenia Communities has purchased a 25ha portion in the southern end of the site to develop a lifestyle living project of 427 homes.
Ingenia Chief Executive, Simon Owen, said the company paid $30M for the site and it was a great opportunity to get that much attractive land so close to Sydney with so many services.
He said construction of the over 55’s housing development was likely to start by April next year, with completion expected early 2023.
“This will be the largest project we have ever undertaken in NSW and probably the largest land lease community that we’re aware of in the state,” Owen said.
Sue Murray
It’s pretty small when you look at the plans, certainly not a wet n wild, just a kiddies playground with water