Indigenous park plans

THE group behind an Aboriginal cultural centre proposed for The Spit aims to give theme parks a run for their money with plans for dynamic live performances and wild dolphin shows.

The facility has been flagged as a major new tourism contender for the Gold Coast by Moondawera Incorporated, which represents the local indigenous community.

Moondawera bosses hope the state-of-the-art centre will turbo-charge indigenous tourism for the city.

The centre has been listed as part of The Spit draft masterplan, which was released in March.

Max Dillon from Moondawera Inc said his family had been working to establish an indigenous centre on the Spit for 30 years and this was “the closest we’ve ever come” to it becoming a reality.

The centre will be designed as a “one-stop-shop for tourists”, showcasing indigenous stories and culture from around Australia in rotating exhibitions.

It will be run by a consortium which is also planning entertainment from hosting indigenous fashion week to reenacting first contact with Captain Cook and his crew.

“The culture centres we’ve seen in the past have almost all but failed because of location and also the inability to expand and offer that drawcard for tourists, so we’re mainly looking to become a tourist attraction and be very competitive with what’s here on the Coast,” Mr Dillon said.

There are also plans for a show featuring wild dolphins.

“We communicate by slapping the water and the dolphins work with us to push fish into our nets, then we reward them by sharing the fish with them,” Mr Dillon said. “The tradition is very much alive but it’s not a daily event.”

Construction between Sea World and Palazzo Versace could begin within two years if the master plan is approved.

A Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning spokesman said the master plan was currently being finalised with public feedback.