African Safari World was a proposed

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

and

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

, to replace the

Werribee Open Range Zoo Werribee Open Range Zoo is an African themed zoo in Werribee, about south-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board or Zoos Victoria which also includes Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary ...

, southwest of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Warner Village Theme Parks Village Roadshow Theme Parks is a division of Village Roadshow Limited which operates theme parks and attractions in Australia and the United States of America. The Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd was formerly part of Village Roadshow Theme P ...

, who already own and operate several properties on the

Gold Coast Gold Coast may refer to: Places Africa * Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana: ** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642) ** Dutch G ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, was behind the proposal. The park was scheduled to open in 2010. On 1 June 2008 the Victorian government said it had rejected the proposal, because the cost to taxpayers would have been too great.

Proposal

The park would have occupied of land and would include major thrill rides, roller coasters, restaurants and African-themed shops. The attractions would tie in with the existing open range zoo, sharing an African safari theme and the zoo would be redeveloped. The project was estimated to cost A$220 million, was expected to draw 1.3 million visitors each year and add A$864 million to the state's economy over 10 years. 6,700 new construction jobs would be created and the park itself would employ 500 people during operation. It would have been marketed as a location where "animal adventure meets thrills and excitement".

Attractions

Several attractions were proposed including: * Serengeti Safari - An African animal tour. This tour was expected to be a redeveloped Werribee Open Range Zoo which was to feature: ** Habitat and enclosure improvements ** Increased animal numbers ** Wildlife education and conservation centre ** Australian animal experience * A variety of rides, including water rides and Australia's ''greatest'' roller coaster * Man-made lakes and mountains * A Four Dimensional Theatre

Support

Victorian Tourism Minister Tim Holding supported the proposal, stating; "From our perspective, this is a very exciting proposal...It's one that we think can bring great benefits, not only to Victorian families who have to fly all the way to Queensland, all the way to the Gold Coast to see world-class theme parks...We think it's a fantastic proposal, it's one that we want to give very serious consideration to." Unfortunately the cost to the Victoria

taxpayer A taxpayer is a person or organization (such as a company) subject to pay a tax. Modern taxpayers may have an identification number, a reference number issued by a government to citizens or firms. The term "taxpayer" generally characterizes o ...

was expected to exceed A$100 million. This factor, combined with Werribee Open Range Zoo's refusal caused the plan to be indefinitely delayed. In July 2013, it was proposed by Geelong City Council that a theme park be built at nearby

Avalon Airport Avalon Airport is an international airport located in Avalon in the City of Greater Geelong in Victoria, Australia. While located outside the Melbourne metropolitan area, it is the second busiest of the four airports serving the state cap ...

, and they have restarted discussions with

Village Roadshow Village Roadshow Limited is an Australian company which operates cinemas and theme parks, and produces and distributes films. Before being acquired by private equity company BGH Capital, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Ex ...

References

{{Australian Theme Parks Amusement parks in Victoria (Australia) Proposals in Australia