Carrara residents rally against developer Songcheng’s plans for Gold Coast theme park

GRAND plans for a $600 million theme park at Carrara are in the crosshairs of furious locals who say they will halt the controversial project.

FURIOUS Carrara residents have rallied against a proposed $600 million theme park planned for Carrara.

Developer Soncheng has proposed the Australian Legends World park, which will feature a resort and residential towers of up to 25-storeys built alongside amusement rides.

A fired-up crowd of 15 residents from streets surrounding the planned development held a rally outside the council’s Evandale Chambers this morning.

WELCOME TO CHINATOWN, NERANG

Protest outside Gold Coast City Council over the Songcheng theme park. Picture. Andrew Potts.

The Carrara Flooodplain Neighbourhood Association urged Mayor Tom Tate and fellow councillors to reject the development when it goes before the planning committee later this year.

Group president Neil Bartels told the Gold Coast Bulletin that residents feared the development of the floodplain would cause serious problems for surrounding areas.

More than 300 people attended a community meeting on the project last night at Carrara.

The public comment period will run until February 16, significantly longer than the usual two-week turnaround.

A mobile billboard lobbying against the project. Picture. Andrew Potts.

But don’t expect a decision soon — councillors are not expected to vote on the project until late 2018.

According to plans filed with council, the development would be split into three precincts — the tourism area housing the theme park and a giant indoor ski slope, a residential area housing at least five towers and townhouses, and the neighbourhood centre which would include exclusive riverside homes.

DEVELOPERS MOVE ON THEME PARK

Artist impression of Songcheng groups planned theme park at Carrara. Imaged supplied by Canford Property Group

The density of the towers could be as high as 769 bedrooms per net hectare and be 88m high — more than nine times the existing two-storey height limit.

The ski-slope would cover around 5200sq m and be a park centrepiece, along with a recreation of Uluru.

Locals say they are furious over the project Picture. Andrew Potts.

Songcheng bought the site for $55 million last year from developer Wanda. The company, an experienced theme park developer, operates attractions across China.

The Gold Coast project will be the company’s first outside of China.

The theme park and development would stretch from the Nerang Railway Station through to Lakeview Drive.

The project goes before council this year. Picture. Andrew Potts.