Queensland is making a bold bid to create one of the largest parks in the world with a multi-million dollar overhaul of a nature reserve on the Gold Coast.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Sunday unveiled the blueprint to transform 140 hectares of land at The Spit into an ocean park.
It will be divided into seven precincts and include a superyacht marina, underwater sculpture garden, dive site and what's being described as a 'selfie tower ' to capture the city's skyline.
"The open space areas on The Spit will be more than eight times the size of Brisbane's South Bank parklands, 12 times the size of the public spaces in Barangaroo, Sydney, and two-and-a-half times the size of Mt Coot-tha's Botanic Gardens," the Premier said.
"And it has something none of them have - the Broadwater and the surf.
"Our plans will make this not just a jewel of the Gold Coast but for the entire state."
The park's tourism impact would be "huge" she says and more than 1000 jobs created during construction.
"We all know how important tourism is, this will be a world-class attraction for the whole world to come and see."
The plan has been 18 months in the making and has the green tick of approval from environmental groups who have been fighting for decades to preserve the area.
All of The Spit's current features, including the kiosk, marine rescue and boat ramps, will be retained and improved.
Parts of the park are earmarked for commercial development but will be restricted to a three-storey limit.
The blueprint is being released for community consultation before a final plan is released in the coming months.
The park could take up to a decade to complete and the cost of the overhaul has not been revealed.
