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Fury as ‘Chinese Disneyland’ images fuel bitter row over abandoned Old Sydney Town, but developer insists the vision was scrapped years ago
A disputed redevelopment plan for the abandoned Old Sydney Town site on the NSW Central Coast has advanced to the state planning department, despite council planning staff and an independent panel recommending against it in its current form. The proposal has angered local campaigners, who question whether the developer can deliver the promised tourism attractions and say councillors have disregarded local concerns.
The developer, World Cultural Tourism Village, says dramatic images of rollercoasters and futuristic buildings came from an early concept scrapped in 2020 and do not represent the scaled-down plan now under consideration. The current proposal includes tourist attractions, a hotel, restaurants and about 256 homes. Old Sydney Town opened in 1975 as a colonial-era recreation, closed in 2003, and was bought by WCTV for $20 million in 2018.
In short
- Old Sydney Town’s redevelopment plan has moved to state planners.
- The current proposal includes about 256 homes and tourism facilities.
- Its developer says the striking “Chinese Disneyland” images are obsolete.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters could argue that redeveloping a long-closed attraction may bring tourism, jobs and investment to the area, while adding a hotel, restaurants and homes. They may also see referral to the state planning department as a chance for the proposal to receive further scrutiny, and say it should be judged on the current, scaled-down plan rather than images of a concept the developer says it abandoned in 2020.
The case against
Opponents could argue that the council planning staff and independent panel have both recommended against the proposal in its current form, giving reason to question whether its benefits outweigh its impacts. They may also worry that the promised attractions will not be delivered and that local concerns have not been adequately heard, particularly when striking images of an earlier concept have fuelled distrust.
Explained simply
Old Sydney Town was a historical recreation park on the NSW Central Coast, designed to depict life in early colonial Australia. It opened in 1975 and closed in 2003; the site was later bought by World Cultural Tourism Village, a developer proposing to turn it into a tourism and housing precinct.
The plan now under consideration includes attractions, a hotel, restaurants and about 256 homes. Images of rollercoasters and futuristic buildings have caused confusion because the developer says they belonged to an earlier concept, abandoned in 2020.
The proposal has been sent to the state planning department after council planning staff and an independent panel advised against it in its current form. The dispute matters because it raises questions about how the site should be redeveloped and how local concerns are weighed in planning decisions.
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