$20 BILLION OF STALLED CHINESE-LINKED PROJECTS

AUSTRALIAN LEGENDS WORLD — $600m

Theme park put forward by Chinese developer Songcheng featuring an indoor ski field, animal exhibits and adventure park, and 3500-seat performance theatre. Forecast to create thousands of jobs during construction. First pitched in 2016. Work yet to begin.

WORLD CULTURAL CENTRE — $3bn

In 2015, developer Ridong spruiked its 50ha World Cultural Centre at Nerang with a targeted completion date of 2026. “A multi-use development including tourism, entertainment, residential and specialised retail and commercial activities is intended to become a ‘gateway’ connecting Australia to our most significant trading partners, through the Gold Coast’s Sister Cities.”

TALLEBUDGERA VALLEY RESORT — $180m

Pitched in late 2018 to the Gold Coast City Council. It was to be a giant 47.5ha “wellness and tourism gardens’’ on the site of

a former poultry farm. Was to include a six-star, 98-room hotel within a five-storey tower, a four-storey art gallery and 113 private luxury villas. Project knocked in late 2019.

WAVEBREAK ISLAND — $7.5bn

Pitch in early 2014 to totally revamp Wavebreak Island and include a cruise ship terminal. Project torpedoed by the Palaszczuk government in April 2015. Designed to accommodate 20,000 people, including 15,000 residents and 5000 visitors. Project featured towers, a school, parkland and sporting fields.

SPIT INTEGRATED RESORT — $3bn

Proposed in the aftermath of the Wavebreak Island project, it was to be built on a site just south of Sea World on The Spit. It was planned to have up to four towers, giant public plaza, superyacht terminal and hotel. Terminated by the Palaszczuk government just months out from the 2017 state election.

THE AU — $600m

A giant gold complex planned for Southport. Featured 66level and 15-level towers. Project approved by the council but work has not begun in the four years since. ASF still owns the site.

THE AU SURFERS PARADISE — $70m

A luxury 17-storey tower planned for The Esplanade. ASF still owns the site but development is yet to proceed.

PACIFIC POINT — $440m

A six-star hotel pitched by Aquis for Main Beach Pde. The site was put on the market in 2018 despite the project being approved by the council.

VOMITRON SITE

Aquis bought the Surfers Paradise site but never developed it. It was put on the market in early 2018.

COOMERA THEME PARK — At least $2bn

In 2015, Wang Jianlin’s Chinese conglomerate, the Wanda Group, began negotiations with the state government to obtain land at Coomera to build the multi-billion-dollar attraction. The project never moved forward.

SPIRIT — $1.2bn

A proposed 89-storey supertower project controversially approved by the council in late 2015. Early works were performed on the site, including digging out the basement levels, but Forise pulled out of the Australian market in late 2018.

436 NORTHPOINT — $500m

A Singapore-based hotel operator pitched 426 Northpoint, a twin-tower project for northern Surfers Paradise, in 2015. It was approved in 2016. The site was later sold.

STAR OF THE SEA — $2bn

Resort and lifestyle precinct proposed in 2015 by Huixin Real Estate Group, through its Australian arm, Garuda GC. The developer paid the benevolent Catholic order the Sisters of Mercy $27m for the land and demolished the former school in 2016. The project never proceeded.