A developer that has worked on major international projects including Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands is behind a pitch to build a $2.6 billion tourism precinct near the Bruce Highway between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.
The development, known as Infinity Planet, is being billed as “a globally significant, integrated tourism and entertainment city that combines major tourist attractions, short-term accommodation, leisure, recreation and innovation-led business activity within a single cohesive environment”.
The application over the 79-hectare site at 235-245 Bartholomew Road, Elimbah, was submitted to Moreton Bay Regional Council by RHC City Pty Ltd last week.
A town planning report by Infinitum Partners says accommodation options could include about 890 hotel rooms across three-, four- and five-star properties, plus glamping, eco-lodge facilities and residential apartments.
It says this would represent nearly a third of the identified hotel room demand across the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast regions.
Other features include a 9000-seat ‘city hall’-style centrepiece venue, a 136,000sqm internationally themed retail and dining precinct, and parking for about 10,000 vehicles, though internal driving within the precinct would be restricted.
“These components collectively position Infinity Planet as a destination city, a landmark tourism and innovation precinct that complements existing attractions such as Australia Zoo, Aussie World and Sandstone Point while introducing a scale and diversity of offering currently absent from the Moreton Bay region,” the report says.
The “multiple” proposed theme parks could attract up to 1.2 million visitors a year, while the retail components could draw 1.8 million visitors a year. About 800,000 of these visitors would be from overseas, generating about 278,860 room nights annually.
The report says the project would generate substantial employment opportunities, including about 1075 direct full-time and 1324 indirect positions during construction, and more than 4670 direct and 1440 indirect ongoing operational roles.
“Situated in Elimbah along the Bruce Highway corridor, the project leverages excellent regional accessibility and visibility to attract both domestic and international visitors,” it says.
“Infinity Planet is strategically positioned between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, serving as the northern gateway to South East Queensland’s visitor economy.
“The vision for Infinity Planet is to create a dynamic, sustainable and future-ready tourism city that captures the imagination of visitors of all ages, offering cultural experiences for every member of the family while generating enduring employment and defining the next evolution of tourism, entertainment and innovation for Queensland.”
The site would be enhanced through landscaped plazas, a South Bank-style water park and pedestrian promenades, the report states.
The subject land is within the Rural and Limited Development zones under the Moreton Bay Regional Council planning scheme, which is proposed to be varied to a dedicated Major Tourism Zone to facilitate the establishment of Infinity Planet.
Access to the site – which is about 1km south of the Steve Irwin Way exit and currently used for macadamia farming – would be provided via a new road connection extending from the Bruce Highway.
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Moreton Bay councillor Mark Booth took to social media to clarify some aspects of the application.
“This is still just a lodgement of the development application – nothing is approved yet,” he said.
“The project will go through formal assessment by council officers and community consultation will be a key part of that.
“The details (scale, uses, timings) may change significantly as design, planning and community feedback are reflected.”
Fellow councillor Tony Latter also posted about the plan.
“This could mean great opportunities for locals, but also raises questions about infrastructure, transport and community impact,” he said.
The website of RHC City says it is an Australian master development company that was established in October 2022 and is a subsidiary of the Neguin Group, which has worked on projects across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East since 1989.
The report says it was involved in the Marina Bay Sands project as co-construction and delivery partner. It also worked on the KL118 Tower and Mall in Kuala Lumpur and JW Marriott Hotel and Four Seasons Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
