THERE'S wind in the sails of the $235 million Cedar Mill development that will see the old Morisset Golf Course transformed into a 30,000-seat concert venue with all the bells and whistles.
The skeleton of the bespoke dome ampitheatre stage has finally risen from the ground, the first major visual change to Winarch Capital's site in months.
It's the first stage of the major tourism project that will eventually boast cafes, restaurants and an aquatic play park that is set to be the largest in the country.
Head of Cedar Mill Group Ewen Craig said the unique ampitheatre, that could one day host the likes of Pink or Paul McCartney, is completely made-to-order.
"This is a 100 per cent bespoke design, there's not another ampitheatre definitely in Australia, even Asia, and potentially we're still looking at whether this is the biggest ampitheatre in the world," he said.
"The full size of the structure was designed around a Hercules stage, which if you look at the shows that have recently played McDonald Jones Stadium like Elton John, Paul McCartney and Pink, they all use that style of stage.
"It's big enough to handle all of those mega-shows."
The concrete footings that support the distinctive steel structure run 18m below ground and Mr Craig said they are engineering feats in themselves.
The 'shade sails' that run across the design are made by a company that's also worked on Adelaide Oval's unique roof line and Brisbane's The Gabba.
"They're very much stuck there," Mr Craig said.
"When they're fully installed there's no way they are going to move ... they categorically won't come off."
In front of the stage will be a general admission pit with removable seats, a seating bowl and behind that an open lawn for concert goers.
Every seat in the venue will be forward-facing, which Mr Craig said distinguishes Cedar Mill from other stadium offerings across the state.
He's confident Cedar Mill will attract arena shows that play Qudos Bank Arena, Brisbane Entertainment Centre or Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena to add Lake Macquarie to their circuit.
"The one thing with McDonald's Jones Stadium getting some of those recent shows, we're disappointed that we're not ready to have them, but what is has proved is that Newcastle can sell 30,000 tickets on a Tuesday night," he said.
"So from a promoter's point of view, there is evidence that this area can sustain larger shows.
"Sydney will always have the shows, don't get me wrong, but what will happen is the promoters will have to make a decision between going to Perth, Auckland or Lake Macquarie, and it's going to be an easy decision to put a play date here."
The venue is designed to be 'plug and play', so major acts who play in Sydney can cruise down the M1 and perform the a brand new market with less hassle.
The stage is the first element off the ground, and the former golf clubhouse is being turned into a head office for operations, which Mr Craig expects will be completed by the end of next year.
Come 2026, work will begin on the rest of the development, including a large pub and dining area, a high-end restaurant, surfaced areas for food outlets and services and the water park.
Nearby, Ingenia Lifestyle plans to build a new over-55s resort-style community called Archer's Run, which Mr Craig believes will complement Cedar Mill.
"It's a separate development, but by providing the tourism element and having a high-quality offering there, that suits them," he said.
"Even having the concern venue suits them, it's basically a large tourism element on their doorstep that they'll be able to walk to."
Mr Craig said Cedar Mill is already in talks with local and state governments about the infrastructure and transport offerings needed to support the venue.
In 2022, the state and federal governments committed $76 million to upgrade Mandalong Road.
In December, Transport for NSW confirmed it was working on options for the upgrade at Morisset before seeking feedback from the community, with the works likely to be rolled out in stages "consistent with available funding".
Morisset train station is just up the road, and Mr Craig said traffic consultants are looking at how to best run events and minimise the impact on traffic flow.
"We're working with them because at the end of the day we need a good consumer experience, and that means people can get in and out easily and we need to be a good neighbour within the area," he said.
"Transport and traffic, as much as the neighbourhood is concerned, it's also our number one concern, so we're working closely at both a local and state level to ensure we have the best outcome."
There will be parking and bus facilities on-site, but Mr Craig said the the ultimate preference would be for concert-goers to use public transport.
"That's something we will be communicating with our consumers from well before we open to our first event, post event and having that communication with them from the moment they buy their ticket about the best way to get there," he said.
As the venue operator, Cedar Mill Group will likely look to entertainment companies like Live Nation, TEG and AEG Worldwide to bring major acts to Morisset.
Mr Craig said Cedar Mill is the only privately owned stadium-level arena in the country, however they will be working with Destination NSW.
"The one thing we have to constantly reminder ourselves of is that this has never been done before, it's a one-off for Australia, a one-off that a private individual wants to do it," he said.
"There's never been a bigger stadium arena, purpose-built like this, it's a purpose-built concert venue, it's not like the sporting fields that have to convert themselves into a concert venue where everything comes in and goes out temporarily."
Once the sails are attached to the stage, earthworks and construction on the seating bowl are expected to begin.
