Modewarre near Geelong could be transformed into sports city

A PATCH of farmland in country Victoria could soon become a sports city with elite training grounds, wave pools, medical centres and luxury accommodation. See where it will be.

There is a plan to turn Modewarre into a sports city.

A $350 million plan to transform a rural patch of Surf Coast farmland into a Victorian sports city is being considered by the State Government.

A 240ha site at Modewarre, about 24km south west of Geelong, has been earmarked for dramatic redevelopment that would see sports grounds, wave pools, medical centres, shops and luxury accommodation built in a bid to lure the world’s best athletes.

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Plans to be released today estimate 500 full time jobs would be created building the sports and entertainment precinct that would include hotels, eco lodges, vineyards and tennis courts.

An impression of what a sports facility at Modewarre will look like.

The site could become a practice facility for AFL teams. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Australia-first sports training, accommodation and tourism facility will include a football field likely to draw the attention of AFL teams as a practice facility.

It includes a variety of soccer pitches suitable for grassroots players and visiting professional teams.

Tennis courts would be targeted to the world’s best players jetting into town for the Australian Open.

Wave pools would be open to the public and turned over to professional surfers at the Rip Curl Pro for practice and when conditions are sloppy at Bells Beach.

The development, to be known as CORA (Cape Otway Road Australia), will be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

It will cater to nine of the 10 most popular sports in Australia, with world-class fields for AFL, soccer, rugby, cricket and tennis and facilities for swimming, gymnastics, running and cycling.

A map of the proposed precinct for Modewarre.

An artist’s impression of the retail hub.

It will offer four and five-star accommodation for athletes and tourists, a retail village, tourism precinct for visitors to the Great Ocean Road and an organic farm to provide premium produce for restaurants on-site.

Jon Stemp, managing director of project manager Proleisure, said it would draw global interest.

“In my opinion, CORA will have the world’s media talking about this project in Victoria and set a new global benchmark for sport and wellbeing,’’ he said.

It is expected about 1000 jobs would be created during the construction stage.

Environmental, cultural heritage, traffic and engineering tests have been carried out and a business case for the project is expected to go to the Andrews Government within weeks.

Backers say the major project would showcase the region’s natural assets, boost tourism, employment and Australia’s sporting fortunes.

The project is intended to be financed through a combination of private capital and infrastructure funding from the state and federal governments.

If approved, work is likely to start next year and be well advanced by 2020 when movers and shakers of the sporting world visit the region for the Tokyo Olympics.

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