London has its famous Eye. Singapore has its Flyer. And in a few short weeks, everyone may have an opportunity to ride The Wollongong Wheel.
Plans have just been unveiled for a big new attraction for one of the city's most iconic locations; a 35-metre-high ferris wheel on the lawns near Wollongong Lighthouse.
If the plans are approved, customers will be able to ride the 'Wollongong Wheel' later this month, at the start of the spring school holidays.
Sydney-based Extraordinary Events has lodged its plans with Wollongong City Council. Their proposal is to operate in an empty space on Flagstaff Hill to the west of the lighthouse for four weeks, commencing Friday, 26 September.
The big ferris wheel will offer sweeping views of the harbour and up and down the coast. It will provide an opportunity for 144 passengers to ride at one time in the 24 gondolas.
In its application, the company says it "understands that the site is 'heritage listed' and contains heritage buildings. We will not be carrying out any excavation works on the site, and we will not be doing any works to the buildings in the area".
The proposal follows the successful running of the Yours and Owls music festival in the same area early this year, which brought tens of thousands of people into the precinct.
The ferris wheel "provides a unique, family-friendly attraction to enhance community and tourism activity" and "generates minimal environmental or amenity impact", the development application said.
"It will enable Wollongong to host a safe, vibrant and inclusive recreational activity with significant community and economic benefits."
The ferris wheel will operate daily from 10am-10pm and ticket prices will be $15 for adults, $12 children and $50 per gondola (six people).
There will be an additional seven days of disruption on site for bump-in and bump-out and the plans are currently on public exhibition until 15 September. If the DA is approved, the prominent site should be cleared again by 29 October.
