State backs CORA’s masterplan

THE state government has given more support to the planned CORA (Cape Otway Road Australia) sports training precinct near Modewarre, awarding it $490,000 from this year’s Enabling Tourism Fund.

The grant will help develop a business plan for the wetland restoration works and architectural design of the CORA Masterplan, which includes a tourist village, hotel, conference and wellness facilities and lodges.

Site plans for the $500 million precinct include the development of a 128-room hotel and 61 lakeside lodges, to encourage overnight visitation and tourism spend in the Cape Otway area.

“The team at CORA are delighted to announce that they have been successful in their application for the Enabling Tourism Fund 2024,” CORA co-founder Daryl Pelchen said.

“This grant will enable CORA to begin the next phase of the CORA Masterplan, focusing on the development of a strategic roadmap for the wetland restoration works and detailed architectural plans for the initial staging sites of the CORA Masterplan.

“We would like to thank the Victorian government for its ongoing support of the project.”

Geelong MP Christine Couzens visited the CORA site in Cape Otway Road on Wednesday this week to make the announcement.

“I’m so pleased to see the next stage of the CORA Masterplan is coming to life – this is a fantastic development for the Surf Coast and will be a boost to local tourism, sport and the economy,” she said.

CORA is one of 29 new infrastructure projects across the state’s regional and rural areas funded through the Enabling Tourism Fund 2024.

The fund is part of a $170 million investment to create more jobs, support important tourism businesses and attract more visitors to experience the natural experiences on offer across regional Victoria.

Grants of up to $500,000 are supporting regional Victorian tourism projects by funding planning activities such as studies and design for future infrastructure investment.

In January this year, CORA announced legendary French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou would replicate his flagship tennis academy in Nice within the CORA development, and start teaching students within three years.

Multiplex is slated to began construction on the wider CORA precinct this year, and the facility is expected to include other sport academies, a retail village, allied health and sports science facilities

CORA says construction will create more than 1,000 jobs and inject more than $2 billion into the local economy, and the precinct will provide 800 ongoing jobs and more than $150 million in revenue annually.

To see a complete list of the Enabling Tourism Fund projects, head to tourism.vic.gov.au/grants-and-support/enabling-tourism-fund