Australia is planning its first indoor ski resort, with a $700 million snow and tourism development proposed for Penrith in Western Sydney.
Known as Winter Sports World, the resort is planned for the Riverlink Tourism Precinct, approximately 60 minutes from central Sydney and about 15 kilometres from the new Western Sydney International Airport.
The large indoor complex will provide year-round skiing, snowboarding and snowplay using real snow made from water and air.
What is Winter Sports World?
The centrepiece of the resort will be a 300-metre advanced ski and snowboard run designed for experienced riders.
Separate beginner slopes will provide space for people learning to ski and snowboard, while a large indoor snowplay area will allow families and visitors to experience snow without needing to travel to the Australian mountains.
Plans for the resort also include:
- Ski and snowboard learning areas
- Competition and elite athlete training facilities
- Indoor snowplay
- Ice climbing and crevasse climbing
- Restaurants and cafés overlooking the snow
- Conference and function facilities
- An alpine-style hotel with approximately 170 – 200 rooms
The resort is expected to operate throughout the year, providing consistent snow and weather conditions regardless of the temperature outside.
Winter Sports World says its snow will be made using water and air without chemical additives. The project also includes energy-efficient systems, onsite renewable energy and plans to work towards net-zero operations.
Where will the indoor ski resort be built?
Winter Sports World is planned for a former horse paddock at Tench Avenue in Jamisontown, Penrith. The site forms part of Penrith’s Riverlink Tourism Precinct and is close to several existing visitor attractions, including Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Cables Wake Park and iFLY Indoor Skydiving.
Its location near Western Sydney International Airport is also expected to make the resort accessible to visitors travelling from other parts of Australia and overseas.
The developers expect Winter Sports World to become a major year-round tourism attraction for Western Sydney.
Has Winter Sports World been approved?
The project received State Significant Development approval from the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment on 11 January 2024. The approval followed several years of planning, design and environmental assessment.
An initial planning proposal was lodged in 2018, while the formal State Significant Development Application was submitted in December 2022.
Winter Sports World describes the project as fully approved and ready to move into construction. However, capital raising is still underway, meaning the construction timetable remains dependent on the required investment being secured.
A projected opening of 2028
Construction is currently expected to begin during 2026, with the resort targeting an opening in the second half of 2028. The development is expected to take approximately two-and-a-half years to complete because of the size and technical complexity of the project.
Early construction work is expected to include underground infrastructure, water storage and the extensive refrigeration and snowmaking systems needed to maintain indoor snow throughout the year.
The 2028 opening remains a proposed date rather than a confirmed opening day.
