Cleland Wildlife Park’s multi-million redevelopment, including cable car, still consideration under Liberal Government

A BILLIONAIRE’S plan to make Cleland Wildlife Park a world-class destination and link the wildlife sanctuary to the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden with a cable car remains on track despite the change in Government.

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A BILLIONAIRE’S plan to make Cleland Wildlife Park a world-class destination and link the sanctuary to the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden with a cable car remains on track despite the change in Government.

The State Government says it will consider any proposals to increase visitors to Cleland and Premier Steven Marshall met with Hong Kong’s LKF Group chairman Allan Zeman while in Shanghai last week.

The LKF Group developed the ambitious multi-million plan for a treetop walk, zip-line, hotel, shopping village, restaurant and bar, to rejuvenate the government-owned wildlife park.

A spokeswoman for Mr Zeman said the meeting was “very positive” and “we are happy to work with the South Australian Government to see Cleland’s potential realised”.

In November, Mr Zeman released concept plans for Cleland’s future alongside former Jay Weatherill, who said $150 million would need to be sought by private investors for the vision.

At the time, Mr Zeman and his friend transport tycoon, Lindsay Fox, who was at the launch, both said they would invest in the project, should it gain community support.

Mr Zeman believed the proposal would make Cleland “world-class” and the “jewel in the crown” for South Australia, helping increase the park’s 125,000 visitors, in 2016.

The billionaire is known for making Hong Kong’s Ocean Park — a nature-based theme park — into a bigger success than Hong Kong’s Disneyland.

Lofty plans for Cleland National Park

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Environment Minister David Speirs said they were “very keen” to capitalise on environment and nature-based tourism opportunities to create jobs and increase tourism dollars.

“Cleland is a much-loved environmental and tourism asset and the new State Government is open to looking at any proposals which will attract more tourists, support conservation and improve environmental education,” Mr Speirs said.

“Professor Chris Daniels was recently appointed as the inaugural Director of Cleland Wildlife Park to provide a new era of leadership and support the State Government’s conservation, education and business sustainability mandate.”

Cleland Koala keeper Ashleigh Hunter with koala 'Isaac' and Linsday Fox, on the left, and Allan Zeman, on the right. Picture: Tricia Watkinson.

A previous attempt by former premier John Bannon to build a Mount Lofty cable car was scrapped in 1989 due to environmental concerns.

Mr Speirs said the government had also released a suite of policies during the election “we will deliver” to further grow the state’s $1.2 billion nature-based tourism sector.

They include new accommodation services at Innes National Park, opening reservoirs for recreation, progressing the Great Southern Bike Trail and establishing Adelaide’s second national park, the Glenthorne National Park.