Pellicano’s Surfnplay Aqua Park no longer a joint venture
Pellicano won’t seek to replace Zagame Corporation as joint venture partner to build what would be the largest indoor water park in the southern hemisphere, in Melbourne.
The owner of the Dingley Village land said this weekend that it intends to construct the $100 million complex solo.
It added to have nearly resolved environmental and infrastructure related hurdles in its planning application after working with Melbourne Water and VicRoads.
Resting with Kingston City Council after that for approval, the project could be completed in by the end of 2022.
Pellicano managing director Nando Pellicano is estimating between 800,000 to a million people would visit annually.
At 321 Old Dandenong Road, the site is near the Dingley Bypass/Westall Road intersection, and what will be Hawthorn Football Club’s new base, about 23 kilometres south east of the city.
Coincidentally, both the proposed water park and Hawks’ new headquarters are penned by Peddle Thorpe Architects.
SurfnPlay Aqua Park – the new name for Zagame’s Wild Water Park
Branded Zagame’s Wild Water Park when it was unveiled last March, the project will now be named SurfnPlay Aqua Park.
Designed also with Canada’s WhiteWater West, the all-weather theme park will contain 18,200 sqm of internal area and 20,000 sqm, outside.
A Pellicano statement said the facility “will showcase cutting-edge technology previously unseen in Australian water parks, enhancing Melbourne’s competitive edge as a leading entertainment destination”.
Amongst them is a 180-degree semi-circle surf pool, video-controlled wave ski-slide. and 432 meter long “lazy river”.
It will also contain rides of various thrill-levels including one called Master Blaster which uses water to shoot people up a slide.
Zagame Corporation – which owns a national commercial portfolio heavy weighted in hospitality assets – was going to service the cafes and restaurants planned within the Dingley Village tourist attraction.
Established by Victor Zagame in 1971 and now run by his sons, Victor Junior and Anthony, the company and Pellicano developed Gold Coast’s 2ha Paradise Resort about seven years ago – selling it two years later for more than $70m to Sydney’s Ralan Group.
No frogs, galaxias or skinks, here: report
Pellicano, established by Nando’s father, Nunzio, has owned the Dingley Village site for more than 30 years.
It said a recent survey of the land by flora and fauna consultant Abzico “found no trace of the Growling Grass Frog, Swamp Skink and Eastern Dwarf Galaxias” – part of an environmental related planning hurdle it met last year.
The site is “unlikely to be a habitat for any state or nationally legislated…species of conservation significance,” the developer added.
“The survey also concluded that the project offers opportunity to improve conservation values onsite.
“The development team has been working closely with Melbourne Water over the course of the year and all objectives for the relocation of the drain that runs through the site are close to being resolved.
“VicRoads has accepted the intersection proposal put forward by the team, with finer details to be ironed out”.
