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Chinese company plans $600 million Gold Coast theme park

<p>Last October's Dreamworld tragedy hasn't put off a Chinese entertainment company from plans to build a multimillion dollar theme park on the Gold Coast.</p> <p>Songcheng Performance Development announced on Thursday it was seeking approval to develop a AU$600 million initial stage of the park, which will be called Australian Legendary World.</p> <p>The company has paid $55 million for a 45-hectare block of land in Nerang where it aims to develop the site.</p> <p>It will be the first time Songcheng - which operates 30 theme parks across China - has invested outside its native country.</p> <p>Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who initiated talks with Songcheng during a trade mission to China, said the tragedy at Dreamworld hadn't had an impact on the Chinese company's enthusiasm.</p> <p>"People still want man-made fun," Mr Tate said.</p> <p>"Their (Songcheng) vision is very long-term. They're a culture theme park so the tragedy in Dreamworld ... I think they'll bounce back and it'll be business as usual."</p> <p>Songcheng chairman Huang Qiaoling, who is valued at $1.65 billion, said the proposed new attraction would not be competing with the region's existing theme parks.</p> <p>"We are here to focus on culture," Mr Huang said via an interpreter.</p> <p>"We are complimentary to each other."</p> <p>The proposed attraction will feature a scale model of Uluru which will double as the park's entrance-way and house a "snow and ice world" attraction inside.</p> <p>Areas around the park will focus on Aboriginal culture, the arrival of Captain Cook, Australia's gold rush era and the Chinese migrants who worked in the country at that time.</p> <p>Mr Tate said council expects to receive a development application within the year, with construction to commence if council approves the plan.</p> <p>Do you think the Gold Coast needs another theme park?</p> <p><em>First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/11/warren-cox-fishing-nerang-river-on-gold-coast/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The best place to fish on the Gold Coast</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/12/destination-in-focus-gold-coast/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Destination in focus: The Gold Coast</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/10/5-things-to-do-on-the-gold-coast/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 things to do on the Gold Coast</strong></em></span></a></p>

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