The $2.6 billion Infinity Planet attraction is set to redefine the theme park landscape in Australia. Planned for 68 hectares of farmland at Elimbah, located between Brisbane and Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, this ambitious project aims to integrate a hotel, theme park, entertainment center, music venue, and shopping mall under one roof. “For the first time in Australia, we have a hotel, theme park, entertainment centre, music centre and shopping centre all under one umbrella,” RHC City CEO Ramin Ahmadi told the ABC.
RHC City, founded by Ahmadi, has submitted development plans to the Moreton Bay Regional Council. The proposal includes a 5-star international hotel, a 9,000-seater city hall, and a “global cultural mall” showcasing 50 countries. Ahmadi emphasized the importance of cultural representation in a region where over 110 languages are spoken. “This is very good for us to bring this audience to our city and find their own mother language, mother culture and roots in our pavilion,” he said.
Strategic Location and Timing
The timing and location of Infinity Planet are strategic. Ahmadi, also the founder of the Neguin Group in Malaysia, aims to complete the first stage by the Brisbane 2032 Games. After searching throughout Australia, the team chose a strawberry and macadamia farm at Elimbah. “The Gold Coast has a lot of international theme parks already there, and they are very successful,” Ahmadi noted. “This area [is] not very far from the major city, we are very close to Australia Zoo, and also north of Brisbane with no big theme parks like that.”
Ahmadi’s experience with over 50 major projects in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East, including the Tehran Mega Mall, underscores his capability. “We have very good connections internationally with different financial, different banking, different investment companies,” he stated. A strong partnership with a Taiwanese company is set to ensure the city is sustainable and green.
Challenges and Comparisons
Infinity Planet is not the first ambitious theme park project in the region. Aussie World, opened in 1989, was the last major theme park north of Brisbane. Other projects like Sanad Capital’s $350 million park at Glenview and Kelly Slater Wave Co’s wave park at Coolum failed to materialize. Surf Farm Australia’s $45 million development at Glass House Mountains remains unbuilt.
According to Dr. Aaron Tham, a senior lecturer in tourism at the University of Sunshine Coast, while Infinity Planet appears to have solid financial backing, challenges remain. “Elimbah is a high risk bushfire zone so the fire insurance would be quite a phenomenal cost,” Dr. Tham said. “Clearly, the demands on raw materials, labour and other costs are always going to be challenging.”
“If there are delays it could potentially push closer to the $3 billion mark and that’s what we’re seeing already from infrastructure builds towards the Olympics,” Dr. Tham added.
Developers anticipate attracting up to 1.2 million visitors annually, but Dr. Tham emphasized the need to appeal to both leisure and corporate markets. “They are ambitious targets and people do have choice. There are other factors at play with cost of living and discretionary income,” he said.
Community Impact and Future Prospects
Prominent Sunshine Coast developer Graeme Juniper believes it’s “only a matter of time” before a major development like Infinity Planet takes shape. “It’s time for the next generation. Projects like this will happen. It will bring people from out west, up north, down south … it will flow through to the entire Sunshine Coast,” Juniper said.
Local resident Jason Smith expressed mixed feelings. “It will change the face of Elimbah very strongly. One of the things that makes the area really attractive is that look and feel of a small country community that values its farming and its lifestyle,” Smith said. Despite concerns, he acknowledged the potential job creation. “If I look at the amount of housing that’s gone in … all these people need to have jobs, and where are those jobs going?”
Ahmadi is confident about the project’s economic impact. “We are making more than 1,075 direct jobs and 1,320 indirect jobs in the construction time,” he said. “During the operation time around 6,000 jobs we are providing in this city — new jobs.”
“We have our master developer company running the whole project. We have secured the land, we have the budget for all the infrastructure,” Ahmadi assured.
The future of Infinity Planet hinges on council approval, but its potential to transform the region is undeniable. As the project progresses, stakeholders and residents alike will watch closely to see if this ambitious vision can overcome the hurdles that have thwarted similar ventures in the past.
