Coffs Harbour Pacific Bay Resort film precinct plans on track after bypass noise abatement wall promise
Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe’s dream of building a world class movie studio in his hometown of Coffs Harbour appears alive and well after a pledge to build a $10m wall.
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Coffs Harbour plans to build a wall – and make the rest of NSW pay for it – in a move which has gained the thumbs up from Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe.
The 5m high wall stretching nearly half-a-kilometre long would ensure the progress of the Pacific Bay Resort, village and film studios precinct, in which actor Crowe is heavily involved.
The issue of noise from the Coffs Bypass construction has been burning for some time.
But on Friday morning Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh announced a fix in the way of a $10 million noise abatement wall.
Coastal & Golf Resorts Group general manager Brad Daymond said the wall would allow neighbouring developments – the highway bypass and village and film studios project – to coexist.
Mr Daymond, who also manages the globally acclaimed Bonville golf course on the Coffs Coast, said: “We thought we were at the point where it wasn’t going to happen.”
Mr Singh said the stakes could not have been higher.
“These are the biggest construction projects in Coffs’ history,” he said.
Mr Daymond said construction of the bypass posed a four-pronged threat to local residents: Visual, loss of amenity while the works are underway, noise and general safety concerns.
As a business partner in the precinct project, Mr Daymond said Crowe was “totally across it” regarding the challenges of being next to the bypass.
Mr Singh said the ‘amenity wall’ would assure the future of the Pacific Bay Resort precinct.
“The proposal, which also includes a boutique hotel, a state of the art film school, an Indigenous art gallery and an Olympic and film memorabilia museum, will provide an exciting new industry for the region,” he said.
The wall would be built on the bypass corridor – Transport for NSW land.
The bypass project will see traffic lights installed at the intersection of Bay Dr and what will become the old highway just north of The Big Banana.
Mr Daymond said Crowe would be “thrilled” by Friday morning’s announcement.
“We’re very happy and confident now that we can proceed,” he said.
Pacific Bay Resort Pty Ltd director Peter Montgomery said the announcement would clear the way to finalise planning for the Stage 2 project as a State Significant Development.
Mr Singh said the 400m-long wall would be built in tandem with the $2.2 billion bypass.
It is a Coalition-only promise ahead of the March 25 election.
Mr Singh said: “We’re confident of being returned into government.”
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