APP joins Australian Biome project

National property and infrastructure consultancy APP Corporation has joined Australian Biome, the major tourism development planned for Perth Airport.

The Australian Biome project aims to blend ancient culture with the latest technology in a showcase of Australian eco environments, multicultural and Aboriginal cultural experiences via virtual and digital holographic, educational and scenic tours, narrated by traditional owners and first nations people.

Perth Airport signed a memorandum of understanding with Australian Biome in 2019, earmarking the development 15 hectares of land within the airport precinct for the project.

APP is the latest business to sign up to the project and will manage the development of the business case needed to secure investment.

The business plan is expected to be completed mid-2021, and then circulated to potential investors for seed funding opportunities.

Australian Biome founder and chair Terrence Dewar said the team was looking forward to working closely with APP.

“Australian Biome has the potential to not only re-energise an industry that has been badly damaged from the COVID-19 crisis, but to create a whole new tourism economy here in Western Australia,” Mr Dewar said.

APP regional general manager (Western Australia) Stuart Bell said as part of the business plan, the group was exploring and evaluating a range of funding models.

“Australian Biome has the potential to transform the current tourism market, and seed new forms of innovation technology created here in WA,” Mr Bell said.

APP has several WA-based projects in the mix, including the delivery of projects for Curtin University and the proposed retail and mixed-use redevelopment of Carillon City in the CBD.

Nationally, the company has also worked on transport infrastructure projects such as Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Light Rail, Brisbane’s Cross River Rail and Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel.