$2.6b 'entertainment city' for Moreton Bay

Above: An artist’s impression of master development plans showing the proposed theme park at Infinity Planet.

Infinity Planet, a $2.6 billion ‘permanent world expo’, is being planned for a huge site in one of Moreton Bay's fastest-growing regions.

Backers say it will “reimagine tourism and entertainment in Australia, boost Queensland’s tourism offering and deliver a generational jobs and economic windfall to the state”.

Infinity Planet is proposed for 68 hectares alongside the Bruce Highway, just before the northbound exit for Steve Irwin Way.

Australia’s largest purpose-built integrated entertainment city would be on a current strawberry and macadamia farm, reportedly off Bartholomew Road, Elimbah.

A development application was lodged with Moreton Bay City Council yesterday with the project scheduled to open before the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Infinity Planet is planned to have indoor and outdoor theme parks, cultural pavilions, a 9000-seat City Hall venue and more than 700 hotel rooms.

These will range from three-to-five-star hotels to glamping and represent nearly 300,000 additional room nights per year.

It will also have a 136,000sqm “internationally themed retail and dining precinct and a globally connected business and technology park”.

Up to 1.2 million people are expected to visit the Infinity Planet theme parks each year, while 1.8 million are expected to access the retail offering.

Some 800,000 international visitors are expected to spend $88 million per year on accommodation alone.

CEO and Founder Ramin Ahmadi said Infinity Planet would be "Australia’s largest purpose-built integrated entertainment city".

“This will be like a permanent world expo on Brisbane’s doorstep,” he said. “We are very excited to launch our project today.

“This combination of entertainment, education and celebration of culture is a concept that has been successful in many locations across the world, particularly in the Middle East, but this is the first time it will have been delivered in Australia.

“We are creating a world of endless possibilities, which will bring together people from around the world to celebrate the best aspects of humanity and nature.

“Infinity Planet will be so much more than a revolutionary tourism and leisure destination.

“It will truly change lives by fostering a shared understanding of our human heritage, celebrating those things that make our cultures unique, and highlighting the very best of human endeavours and achievements.”

The project is expected to create the equivalent of 1075 direct full-time jobs over the five-year construction, with a further 1320 indirect FTE jobs across the supply chain.

Once operational it is expected to generate 4670 direct and 1440 indirect positions, representing around five per cent of total employment for the City of Moreton Bay.

Mr Ahmadi said Infinity Planet would “reshape the regional economy and deliver a transformative economic and social legacy by positioning Moreton Bay as Queensland’s next major tourism and innovation precinct”.

“We will also deliver a leading-edge environmental solution, maximising water and energy efficiency and sustainable building principles, and we will invest strongly in solar electricity and batteries to support the precinct’s energy needs,” he said.

“Infinity Planet will be a car-free zone, with vehicles restricted to external parking areas and visitors encouraged to come and go by train, via Elimbah railway station.

“In every way this will be a sustainable project, including how people move through and around the precinct.”