Nanshan Group Plans $225m Tourist Resort, 300 Homes

Chinese investor Nanshan Group has plans to spend $225.5 million developing the Riverside Oaks Golf Resort in the Hills District into an international tourist resort.

Nanshan has lodged plans with council for the progressive development of the 227-hectare site into a masterplan for 300 homes, a hotel precinct with a 150-key hotel and an internal road network and landscape strategy.

The golf resort is one of the major tourist attractions within the Hills Shire and is home to Sydney’s only 36-hole golf course. It hosts the NSW PGA championship.

Ten years after Nanshan bought the golf course and resort, the developer has lodged plans to redevelop the club into a “refined, exclusive and timeless natural lifestyle resort”.

Nanshan had previously sought an amendment to the local plan to permit up to 300 homes on the site in 2013. The Department of Planning and Environment approved its amendment in May 2019.

The concept development application, lodged last week, outlines four residential precincts to support further future residential development.

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Nanshan Group, chaired by billionaire Jianmin Song, acquired the Riverside Oaks championship course and resort in Cattai in 2009.

Nanshan also snapped up neighbouring property from Australian billionaire Brett Blundy in 2017 for more than $18 million.

Other real estate interests for the Nanshan Group include the historic keeper’s cottage in Vaucluse, and the Pullman Sydney Airport hotel. The investor also owns a 20 per cent stake in Virgin Australia.

The development application also seeks approval for up to 42 holiday villas and four developable residential precincts with a minimum 450sq m lot size.

In its application, Nanshan said the proposed residential development would support the operation of the tourist resort and provide a rural lifestyle housing option “not currently available in the Shire”.

Nanshan cites the state government’s target in its three cities plan of 664,000 new dwellings by 2031.

The application will now be assessed by the Hills Shire council before determination by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel.