‘Open for business’: Dreamworld expansion approved by state government

Dreamworld’s multimillion-dollar expansion, including a $200 million hotel development, has been approved by the state government.

Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie fast-tracked the application to expand the site last year after it stalled with the City of Gold Coast council and today announced it had been approved.

He said his department had been working through submissions and community consultation for the last eight months and the expansion was “good to go”.

“This is a win for tourism, it’s a win for jobs, it’s a win for housing, it’s a win for retail and hospitality,” Bleijie said at Dreamworld this morning.

The 55.3-hectare masterplan, which incorporates the existing theme park site as well as adjoining land, is slated to have four key precincts including the existing theme parks Dreamworld and White Water World as well as eco-tourism attractions, a hotel resort complex with hospitality, retail and entertainment venues and a town centre precinct with housing, retirement and residential care facilities.

Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong would not put a dollar figure on the entire masterplan today, but said the hotel development alone would cost more than $200 million.

He said the investment would flow through to the entire south-east Queensland economy and would address the shortage of hotel accommodation between the northern Gold Coast and Brisbane ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“We hope to have more housing here for Gold Coast families very close to local heavy rail, we hope to have more hotel accommodation here to assist in the lead-up to the Olympic Games and more amenity and jobs here in Coomera through new ledger and new entertainment businesses on our site.”

Bleijie said the fast-tracked approval “is what open for business means”.

“Making decisions in a timely way, working with the business community, and saying we want this sort of investment in Queensland, we want more investment in Queensland.”

The government claims concerns about impacts on the already congested local road network have been considered with conditions on the approval to ensure roads are upgraded as the development progresses.

According to an ecological report lodged with City of Gold Coast council as part of the development application process, the expansion encroaches on 42,285 square metres of koala habitat, home to 1072 koala habitat trees.