Newcastle firm Derive Architecture and Design has drawn up plans for a tourist destination and outdoor amphitheatre in the New South Wales wine region of the Hunter Valley.
The $107 million proposal calls for a 100-bed hotel, specialist food and beverage offerings, multiple cellar doors, a wine museum and a 22,000-person concert venue.
It would sit on a 105-acre site in Pokolbin on the corner of Broke and McDonalds roads, adjacent to the Roche Estate food and beverage precinct and next to the Hope Estate winery.
The developer behind the project is the newly formed Cedar Mill Group, a subsidiary of Winarch Capital, which is also behind the $235 million redevelopment of Morisset Golf Course. That development will include a 30,000-person concert venue and “Australia’s largest aquatic play park.”
Cedar Mill says the Pokolbin venue will be capable of hosting events, conferences and functions, and will attract tourists seeking “high-end visitor experiences.”
The site will play host to “local growers and operators providing boutique goods and dining experiences inspired by the local agricultural heritage and, of course, winemaking, distilling and brewing.”
Cedar Mill Hunter Valley by Derive Architecture and Design.
The developer is proecting the project will bring 68,045 additional visitors to the region each year. Cedar Mill Group general manager Kyle McKendry said Pokolbin was the only remaining premium development site in the Hunter Valley wine region.
“It is 105 acres right in the centre of Hunter Valley wine country and had been held by the previous owners for over 30 years,” he said.
“Cedar Mill Hunter Valley and Cedar Mill Lake Macquarie are purpose-built, the first in Australia on this scale. Our aim is to provide an unparalleled visitor experience in the heart of the region, offering a gateway for tourists to connect with everything that makes the Hunter Valley a world-class visitor destination and event hub.”
Development plans for Cedar Mill Hunter Valley will be lodged in the coming months and the developer expects it will be open by 2023.
