Old Sydney Town: Owners release further detail about plans for site

There’ll be a theme park and the old lake will be turned into a water entertainment area. Those are just two of the proposals in more detailed plans released for the Old Sydney Town site.

• Old Sydney Town heritage listed by the National Trust
• Heritage listing won’t change our plans says new owner

A theme park will be at the centre of a major tourism development taking shape on a 120 hectare site at Somersby.

World Culture Tourism Village has released a new more detailed map of its plans for the former Old Sydney Town site and its surroundings, with a substantial section set aside for a theme park.

However, fans of the iconic colonial history theme park should not get too excited that it is coming back, despite its recent heritage listing.

New concept plan for the Old Sydney Town site at Somersby has been released by World Culture Tourism Village. Source: WCTV website

Previous daft structure plan for the former Old Sydney Town site.

WCTV plans say only some of the Old Sydney Town buildings will be retained to create a “key tourism destination that pays tribute to the past while enriching the entire site by creating new and contemporary tourism attractions and activities for all seasons and ages”.

Also now firmed up in the previously vague plans are a major hotel; an arts, museum and exhibition area; specialist food and shopping areas.

The existing artificial lake which once represented Sydney Cove in the Old Sydney Town days will be turned into a water based entertainment area for lightshows, outdoor cinema, fishing and “water inspired activities”.

The former Old Sydney Town lake could be turned into a water based entertainment area.

Old Sydney Town waterfront as it used to be. Picture: @switchy3 / Mitchell Hubbard.

Access to the site will be via the Old Pacific Highway and Myoora Road and there will be a network of internal roads connecting residential areas and the tourism precinct.

However, the overall viability of the site still hinges on rezoning at least half of the site for residential development. The land is currently zoned for low density rural residential and the change would have to be approved by Central Coast Council.

The land owners have also moved to bring the coast’s premier tourism attraction, The Australian Reptile Park, on board after getting their nearest neighbour off-side in the early days of planning.

Tourism focused boutique shopping is planned.

Shopping at Old Sydney Town the way it used to be. Picture courtesy of Gostalgia, Central Coast Council Library Services.

At that time the reptile parks owner said they had not been consulted and that initial plans threatened the viability of the park by destroying its bushland setting and taking over areas used for parking.

Reptile Park general manager Tim Faulkner said the park had held numerous meetings with World Culture Tourism Village and was satisfied that sufficient parking was now planned.

“At this point in time we are comfortable with where it’s headed — there was a very sincere effort for WCTV to befriend us,” Mr Faulkner said.

Mr Faulkner said the new owners were genuinely interested in tourism.

Australian Reptile Park owners Robyn and John Weigel General Manager Tim Faulker and Liz Vella outside the park. Picture: Sue Graham

Community consultation on the former Old Sydney Town site started in May 2019 and has restarted for another five weeks.

“Yes, there’s a large format retail component close to us, but we could have a concrete crushing plant or a plastic smelter.

“It’s hard for us not to endorse something that is new for the coast and will bring more visitors to the region,” he said.

A new five-week community consultation period on the more detailed plans has already begun via a feedback portal on the World Culture Tourism Village website.

A community information and feedback session will be held at the Erina Centre on Saturday August 31 where people can find out more and ask questions about the plan.