CORA opening to come after Comm Games

THE expected completion date of the $350 million Cape Otway Road Australia (CORA) has been pushed back another year, with construction yet to begin on the elite training centre.

Proponents have indicated they are targeting the first half of 2026 to finish the project, which would create sports training, accommodation, arts and tourism facility across more than 200 hectares on Cape Otway Road near Lake Modewarre.

A spokesperson for the site’s developers said pandemic impacts had slowed down progress of the facility, which remained in its design phase.

“Commercial agreements are continuing to be negotiated and significant design work is being completed to enable site mobilisation works.

“The revised completion date is Q1-Q2 2026 due to the consequences of COVID. We are now able to host international stakeholders and their project endorsement has been very pleasing.

“The consequences of COVID – particularly border controls – has meant that key stakeholders have not been able to visit the site, which resulted in a pause for some negotiations.”

Upon receiving state government planning approval in October 2020, proponents had initially aimed to start building in 2021 and open the facility in 2023.

CORA’s most recent update in 2021 had indicated a likely 2025 finishing date.

Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson was among the project’s supporters during her time as Corangamite MP when CORA was in its early planning phases, and received $3.2 million in development funding.

“The former Coalition government backed CORA with development funding because we recognised it offered significant economic and social benefits for our region,” Senator Henderson said.

“News of further delays with this project is disappointing, particularly given it won’t be ready in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games.”

Once built, CORA intends to create a world-class facility that will attract international athletes and teams in “the southern hemisphere’s ground-breaking venue”.

About half the site will include a conservation precinct including retaining an existing farm, and sports fields and buildings, a sports science hub, retail, tourism and cultural facilities, and accommodation through a 128-room hotel and 61 lodges.