Anglesea Mine Ecotourism Project Moves Ahead

Design work is under way on the rehabilitation of an Alcoa mine at Anglesea and its redevelopment as an ecotourism venture. 

The $150-million project announced in 2019 was expected to bring in tourism dollars to the small town of Anglesea and the City of Greater Geelong.

The joint venture between mine-owner Alcoa and Eden Project International was to create an ecotourism attraction, a rainforest and other biomes under glass, similar to the groundbreaking Eden Project in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. 

While the Anglesea site is 40ha in size, only 4ha would be set aside for development.

Five years on, the project is still in its concept and design stage after initial pumping tests were carried out at the site.

The attraction is expected to create more than 1300 new jobs and generate $350 million for the regional and Victorian economy within the first decade of its operation.

It is estimated that would be four times the number of workers employed by Alcoa when the site was used as a mine and power station.

▲ Different pavilions and spaces themed after the elements were part of the initial design and plans announced in 2019.

Plans first revealed in 2019 included retail and catering areas, an interactive tourism centre that would create 300 full-time jobs, and an artificial lake.

The rehabilitation of the site has faced some hurdles when planning stalled in May 2021, but a spokesperson for The Eden Project International confirmed in 2022 that it was halfway through its testing on the site. 

Initial pumping tests were completed in 2021 with no adverse effects on the ecosystem found.

As reported in the media, to date there has been no planning application put forward to the state government.

▲ The attraction is expected to generate $350 million in its first ten years of operation.

Tourism is important for Geelong and the surrounding region after a new port terminal was built to be the new home for the Spirit of Tasmania ferry service as well as other cruise ships, which cannot dock at the Port of Melbourne due to their size.

It has driven a demand for related services but also for more tourist accommodation across all types and tiers and the related workers accommodation to support the industry.

Farmland is also being sold to developers for greenfield projects as a growth corridor builds between Geelong and Melbourne with many workers now preferring a much shorter commute to offices in either city or a work from home option.