Central Coast Council has voted to sell off the Warnervale land that had been earmarked as the site for a proposed Chinese theme park.
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Councillors on Monday night resolved to proceed with the sale of the 15.7-hectares of land at 4 and 10 Warren Road, Warnervale.
In July last year, the council terminated two contracts with Australia China Theme Park Pty Ltd (ACTP) for the sale of the lots of land, after the company failed to meet payment deadlines.
The council retained the two $300,000 deposits paid by ACTP under the two contracts for the parcels of land that it had agreed to buy for $10 million.
ACTP originally touted plans to build a $500-million “Chinese Disneyland” to be known as Chappypie China Time.
But the project was mired in controversy from the outset.
The bold plan was announced in 2011, but not a single sod was ever turned.
In May 2016, a DA for part of the project was withdrawn, and a revised DA was submitted in July that year.
The new DA, for Stage 1, a Buddhist temple, was scaled down considerably.
Last year, the council moved to distance itself from the plan, saying: “At no stage has Central Coast Council been a proponent of the proposed Chinese Theme Park nor has it been in any partnership or other commercial arrangement with ACTP in respect to that proposed park.”
On Monday, the successful motion called for a report on whether the land would be sold through an expression on interest process, by tender, or sale at market value or auction.
The proceeds of the sale would be applied to a specific employment-generating purpose in the Warnervale area, rather than into general revenue.
