AN amenity wall, designed to shield the Pacific Bay Resort Precinct from the noise and disturbance of the Coffs Bypass construction happening on its Pacific Highway boundary, has been promised by the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government if re-elected on 25 March 2023.

If they are, they will commit up to $10 million for a project to build the barrier between two of Coffs Harbour’s biggest ever construction projects: the Coffs Bypass and the proposed Pacific Bay Resort Stage 2 – Film Studios and Village.

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On tee two of the Pacific Bay Resort golf course, Coastal and Golf Resorts Group General Manager Brad Daymond hosted Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh and members of the media to stand on the studio’s planned site and see its proximity to the bypass construction.

“The addition of a set of traffic lights as well as the removal of vegetation on the border of the two projects as part of the $2.2 billion Coffs Harbour Bypass risked putting this exciting project on hold,” said Mr Singh.

Being on site showed firsthand why hundreds of locals living in and around the 115-acre Pacific Bay Resort Precinct rallied to provide submissions to Transport for NSW, calling for the amenity wall to be built which will provide them with protection from the noise and sights of years of construction and ongoing traffic use.

“The amenity wall will be managed as part of the broader Coffs Harbour Bypass project, overseen by Transport for NSW,” said Mr Singh.

When pressed on what would happen to their plan for the proposed barrier and what it means to the Pacific Bay Resort if the Nationals don’t get voted back in in Coffs Harbour, Mr Singh said, “Any government would be silly not to back this project.

“It is a tremendous opportunity for Coffs Harbour.”

Looking at the bigger picture he said the proposed film studio project at Pacific Bay Resort Precinct has the potential to elevate Coffs Harbour to the world stage with international demand for filming space currently at an all-time high.

“The proposal, which also includes a boutique hotel, a state-of-the-art film school, an indigenous art gallery and an Olympic and film memorabilia museum, will provide an exciting new industry for the region,” Mr Singh said.

Peter Montgomery, Director, Pacific Bay Resort, partnering with Keith Rodger and Russell Crowe to build the Pacific Bay Resort Stage 2 – Studios and Village told News Of The Area, “Assuming there will be bi-partisan support, and there has been to date, we hope it will be full steam ahead with the finalisation of the plans for the studios.

“It may not be appreciated the large number of people staying in the precinct on any one night.

“There could be 500 people staying at the resort, there’s the Wyndham timeshare which has high occupancy rates, they may well have 160 people staying, then there’s the people at the National Marine Science Centre and then hundreds and hundreds of people living at Diggers Beach.”

Concerns are held that all these residents, holiday makers and staff would have their Pacific Bay Resort Precinct experience negatively affected by noise and visual pollution without the barrier.

“I am personally very excited about it as I was the original developer of the Pacific Bay Resort,” Mr Montgomery said.

Now used to patient persistence with development rules and regulations, Mr Montgomery bought the land in 1981 and was the original developer bringing the dream of sophisticated tourism to Coffs Harbour over 40 years ago.

“The land was a former banana plantation and swamp,” he said.

Mr Montgomery said he was early to realise the potential of Coffs Harbour as a “destination”, a new word they were using in tourism terms in America at the time.

Today Peter Montgomery is part of the team building one of Australia’s most high-profile projects, which is hoped will meet a need otherwise satisfied only in Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast, where the big sound stages are often fully occupied.

“So many film business people live in northern NSW.

“The whole concept of movie making in a resort, near an airport and all kinds of other facilities, according to my business partner, Russell Crowe, is unique in the world.

“We will have a very comprehensive facility here which will operate in tandem with the rest of the resort operating as normal.

“We’re going to extend the lagoons so there’s a physical separation from the resort to the studio.”

Mr Montgomery said he expected to be making another announcement about the studio later this year.

By Andrea FERRARI