Investors pump $10m into Cairns aquarium project
Plans for a AU$33.5m (€26.5m, £22m, $35m) acquarium in the northAustralian city of Cairns, renowned for its coral reef, have been given a cash injection of $10m (€8m, £6.5m, $10.5m) from private investors.
The Cairns Aquarium and Reef Research Centre project is being led by entrepreneurs, Daniel Leipnik and Andrew Preston, and are widely supported by the public sector.
Regional Development Australia and the Cairns Regional Council’s investment attraction fund and the federal Tourism Investment Regional Fund have also been approached for cash.
The three level aquarium will be sited next to the Novotel Oasis Cairns Resort. Expressions of interest are being sought from aquarium designers.
The company hopes to start construction in 2015, with an opening date of late 2016.