mini wonderland update

[zordmaker]

Letter received from Dept of Planning: http://savewonderland.artelex.com Nothing really surprising here except that it tells us what we already know - Wonderland is stuck in "development hell" and it's up to the pollies to decide it's fate. ZordMaker

[GoGoBoy]

Hey zordmaker. Funnily enough I was just thinking tonight that we haven't heard from you for a while. Thanks for the update

[Slick]

Why not revamp Wonderland syndey? Why not insetad of zoning it off as industrial area, re-invent the idea of a next generation sydney theme park? Invest in on making the rest of the unused land a new area. Maybe I've missed something but they could actually use the land for, well, amusment.

[Daniel]

Just shoot yourself and get it over with Slick.

[Slick]

You're a funny "dolt". Anyway, why not have a company, which has a lot of capital to spend, revamp the whole park? We all know the reason why Wonderland Sydney was eventually closed was because of virtually no capital being spent. It would be a great idea to expand on a park such as Wonderland, because it is really the only "great" park in NSW that can expand, most probably because it has over 100 more acres or whatever the number was, which is a great area do deal up some more wild cards, you know, a new "teen market thrill ride". Look, it's getting late, and i'm watching South Park on the other PC, so cya tomorrow guys.

[zordmaker]

You're a funny "dolt". Anyway, why not have a company, which has a lot of capital to spend, revamp the whole park?

All we need is.. umm... a company with alot of capital to spend.. :-) Keep the pressure on them pollies guys.. ZordMaker

[T-bone]

Well don't they have to wait for the land lease to expire before they can Re-zone the land as industrial? This is what happened to the Fantasy Glades site in Port Macquarie a couple of years ago. They wanted to build apartments on the site, but only three front blocks of the road which faced the land were able to be built on for apartment purposes because the rest of the land (a very big lot of land might i add) was all zoned for Recreational Facilities and couldn't be Re-zoned till the Land lease Expired. Why should ING be able to con the Blacktown council into cutting the cue line for Re-Zoneing when their are other people that have to wait for the Land Lease to end? Very Sus to me!

[Slick]

I think you're on the ball there Paul. But I don't think anyone understands. I have been reading everything Wonderland in these forums since last year when I joined, and I just don't get that why not expand ING's ventures into the amusment park industry? The reason why Wonderland really went up for sale, is because Sunway saw that the land was worth heaps really. And if wasn't due to bad profits (apart from the fact that they haven't added anything for...... something like 4 years) they MIGHT'VE actually survived and thrive as Sydney's only THEME PARK.

[zordmaker]

Well don't they have to wait for the land lease to expire before they can Re-zone the land as industrial? This is what happened to the Fantasy Glades site in Port Macquarie a couple of years ago. They wanted to build apartments on the site, but only three front blocks of the road which faced the land were able to be built on for apartment purposes because the rest of the land (a very big lot of land might i add) was all zoned for Recreational Facilities and couldn't be Re-zoned till the Land lease Expired. Why should ING be able to con the Blacktown council into cutting the cue line for Re-Zoneing when their are other people that have to wait for the Land Lease to end? Very Sus to me!

The Wonderland is freehold, there are no leases that I can determine. ZordMaker

[zordmaker]

I think you're on the ball there Paul. But I don't think anyone understands. I have been reading everything Wonderland in these forums since last year when I joined, and I just don't get that why not expand ING's ventures into the amusment park industry?.

Yes, more or less right.. but ING are going to need a little encouragement to do that. Basically they need someone to either show them a clear business case that the theme park can be just as profitable as their own alternative plans.. or for the Governing bodies controlling the zoning to "place a few bricks" in the way of ING's plans, encouraging them to steer round them rather than smash them to pieces.. Zordmaker

[GoGoBoy]

(apart from the fact that they haven't added anything for...... something like 4 years) they MIGHT'VE actually survived and thrive as Sydney's only THEME PARK.

Allow me to just make a small correction here. Wonderland didn't add a single new ride for at least 9 years. Let's not give credit where credit is definitely not due

[ScReAMmachine!]

Allow me to just make a small correction here. Wonderland didn't add a single new ride for at least 9 years. Let's not give credit where credit is definitely not due

Now let me make a small correction... Skyrider was added in 98 and when I last counted using my fingers that was about 6 years ago.

[GoGoBoy]

Nah Skyrider doesn't count. We've had this debate before. It is hardly a ride and only operated for a VERY short time. It closed down way before the park even closed. Therefore the park did not add any new rides (excluding crappy short-lived transportation devices) for 9 years

[Slick]

And to think I sterred this pot.

[ScReAMmachine!]

Skyrider is a ride. Skylink in Dreamworld is a ride. Seaworld's monorail is a ride. Where do you draw the comparison?? I dont care if you have had this debate before, but I am entitled to my own opinion which ironically happens to be fact. It was a people mover and also provided a birds eye view of the park, hence the notion that SkyRIDEr is a ride. Just because a ride operated for a short time doesnt mean it cannot be called a ride.... thats just plain stupid!

[Gazza]

But the Skyrider hardly captivated anyones imagination, its not like a ride like that would make everyone really want to go to Wonderland.

[Jaggie]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys but Wonderland is definately got no chance of being revived now... Check out this story by the Sydney Morning Herald pretty much saying that ING got it re-zoned and they are happy that they can build their industrial estate on the theme park. Check the story out here- http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/06/...l?oneclick=true

ING Industrial Trust has been given the green light to proceed with the redevelopment of its $52.5 million Australia's Wonderland site in Sydney's west. The general deal was gazetted yesterday by the NSW Government as part of State Environmental Planning Policy 59 and rezoned for employment purposes. The SEPP 59 (central western Sydney economic and employment area) provides a framework, through a precinct planning process, for detailed planning and development of the site as an industrial park. Paul Toussaint, the chief executive of ING Industrial, said the trust was pleased that this first milestone in the process had been reached.   "Under our proposal, the industrial park will directly employ over 3000 people, indirectly providing in excess of 9000 jobs, across a range of occupations and industries," Mr Toussaint said. "The next step is the preparation of a detailed precinct plan to be approved by Blacktown Council. "Our existing tenants have responded very positively to the location of the site, which lies next to the Westlink M7 and the M4, and the extent of servicing currently available to the site by virtue of its former use as a theme park. The industrial park is expected to comprise warehouse, distribution, manufacturing and associated office facilities." Mr Toussaint said the trust already had a significant investment in western Sydney as it was considered Australia's fastest growing economic region.

[Daniel]

Get over it. We, ex-staff have.

[Slick]

Oh well, we people who never have been there have.

[joz]

Two different ride types, Motivator and Satisfier. Motivators are the sort of rides that make you want to visit a park (ToT, GD, Wipeout) and Satisfiers (Skylink, Model T Lane, Vortex, Dodgems and pretty much almost all the old stuff at parks). Its fair to say Wonderland didn't add a single attraction that would motivate one to visit the park. They did add one satisfier which was only open for the shortest time.

[zordmaker]

Sorry to burst your bubble guys but Wonderland is definately got no chance of being revived now... Check out this story by the Sydney Morning Herald pretty much saying that ING got it re-zoned and they are happy that they can build their industrial estate on the theme park.

"Gazetted" doesn't mean "approved" guys. If I say to my wife "I think I might ride THAT coaster" does it mean that I am going to actually get to ride it? "-) There ha sbeen no rezoning (actually, it is not needed.. the site is already zoned 3C Business) and there has been no approvals. All it means is that a bunch of Dept of Planning staffers have prepared an amendment (No. 6) to SEPP59 which recommends that the Wonderland site be used for "employment". It hasn't been considered, approved or passed by any minister or government. Most of the information they are working on is over 5 years old. The Amendment doesnt rezone the land. It simply sets a framework for the subdivision of the land and recommends where things like public roads, sewers, power lines, open space etc etc should be placed if the developer wants to subdivide. Its part of the process a developer must go through to redevelop land. In particular (depending on the plan) up to 30% of the land may return to public hands (in the form of roads & open space which comes under the responsibility of the local council) as happens with all subdivisions. It's VERY early days yet. Nobody (not even ING) have had a chance to accept it yet. For all we know it might be exactly the opposite to what ING wants to do with the land. The Amendment simply attempts to bring the plans into line with those for the land surrounding it. There's no point ING planning to have a road entering the Western corner if the Plan states the road entry is goign to be on the Southern side etc etc. Its all a long and drawn out part of taking someting that is currently 100% private controlled and chopping it up into smaller bits separated by public owned infrastructure. Read the letter from Dept of Planning at the start of this thread. It is quite clear. The newspaper article refers to the amendment gazetted on 4/7/04. I am currently obtaining a copy of the entire amendment to place on the web site also. Then you can all have your $0.02.. and I hope you do. ZordMaker

[zordmaker]

Further to all that blahdebluhh, here is the actual document: http://www.cms.dpws.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyre...f+2004.indd.pdf Decide for yourself what it means. Basically for the less educated it says this: "Wonderland is now to be considered as part of SEPP59". DUUHH. Actually that's the first positive move we've had since the old Wonderland closed. Says nothing about how it will be used. ZordMaker

[Bussy]

How doesn't Skyrider count? Just because it wasn't a ride that people didn't come to the park specifically for does that make it any less a ride? By that logic the Merry-Go-Round, Baby Bumpers and Antique Autos were not rides either. Before you post comments like that think about the feelings of those poor rides that looked up the bigger one and thought "one day I’m going to be like that". "The Bus is now leaving for Look Up Creek, Victoria"