Australia’s own chocolate factory experience from fantasy to fruition
Roald Dahl’s ‘pure imagination’ finds a spiritual home in Australia as Cadbury’s massive $150 million project to build the ultimate chocolate experience is unanimously approved by council
READING LEVEL: GREEN
UPDATE
The $150 million Cadbury Chocolate Experience, pitched for parkland adjacent to the company’s Claremont facility in Tasmania, went to a crucial vote at Glenorchy Council on Monday night.
The council’s officers previously recommended approval, subject to conditions, for the tourism attraction.
The multimillion-dollar project was approved unanimously by all councillors and the mayor.
From here, a 14-day appeals process will get underway, where any interested parties may appeal council’s decision.
Following that, the permit is considered, finalised and ready to go, and the applicant can then begin work on the next stage of the development.
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania CEO Amy Hills said Tasmania needed to support the type of experience, innovation and creativity that the Cadbury experience offered to remain competitive as a visitor destination.
“For our industry to go from strength to strength we need to keep innovating and keep investing in attractions,” Ms Hills said. “This is a next-level concept that is going to make Tasmania the must-do destination that it deserves to be.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tell the Cadbury story properly and authentically, and it will lift the whole industry with it.
“Importantly, it will cater to a variety of visitors and deliver on the Tassie brand promise ten-fold.”
CHOCOLATE PROJECT OOZING CLOSER TO FRUITION
Cadbury has spruiked* its Willy Wonka-like plans as “the world’s most extraordinary chocolate experience” and it’s just had an important nod of approval ahead of a key vote.
The $150 million Cadbury Chocolate Experience, pitched for parkland adjacent to the Claremont facility in Tasmania, will go to a crucial vote at the Glenorchy Council on Monday.
The council has recommended approval, subject to conditions, for the tourist attraction to go ahead.
Glenorchy mayor and planning authority chair Sue Hickey said the development represented a significant addition to the Cadbury site.
“I know a lot of people in the local community, as well as the Greater Hobart area, have been eagerly anticipating this project moving forward,” Ms Hickey said.
“If approved by the GPA*, it will represent another step toward a considerable investment in Glenorchy and provide another world-class tourist attraction in our municipal area.
“There were a number of submissions supporting this proposal received by the authority during the public exhibition period, and I look forward to the discussion about the project at the meeting on Monday.”
The project is expected to be almost entirely privately funded, however the state government promised $12 million in funding during the 2024 state election campaign to help the development get off the ground.
At the time, Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the Cadbury Chocolate Experience would “rewrite the ‘must-see’ list for every visitor that comes to Tasmania”.
Cumulus, the architecture firm that designed the project, has dubbed it the “world’s most extraordinary chocolate experience”.
An initial 2027 timeline for project completion has been delayed to late 2028 at the earliest, according to the project website.
Tragically an earlier bid to include a spectacular chocolate fountain, slated to be the world’s largest, was scrapped last year, a decision demonstrating that the council and developers clearly needed to consult more kids.
Now the main drawcard will be Chocolate Central, an impressive factory space providing a full experience of chocolate-making.
A premium chocolate studio, a “build your own bar” and a masterclass in exclusive Tasmanian flavoured chocolates are all part of the plan.
Development documents reveal a three-storey building with a total floor area of 7,304 sq/m, with a capacity of 1039 people on-site at any time.
“The proposed use would generally operate as a ticketed visitor experience during the day, with an associated cafe and emporium* open to the public,” the development application stated.
“The building would also occasionally operate as a function centre for specific events during the evenings.”
The Tasmanian Planning Commission ticked off necessary rezoning for the project in August last year.
Glenorchy Council has recommended 39 conditions, ranging in nature from heritage, traffic, environmental health and planning restrictions.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- spruiked: talked up, publicly promoted, colourfully pitched
- GPA: Glenorchy Planning Authority
- emporium: a large store selling a large range of goods, or a store selling a particular type of goods
EXTRA READING
Crims ‘make a break’, take KitKats
The surprising history of chocolate
Meet Australia’s real Willy Wonka
QUICK QUIZ
- Which chocolate company is behind the project?
- How much Tasmanian taxpayer money did the state government pledge to the project?
- Which major feature and guaranteed crowd-pleaser was scrapped from the plan?
- What is the major drawcard going to be now?
- How many recommended conditions has Glenorchy Council made?
LISTEN TO THE UPDATE
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Bring back the fountain!
Write a letter to Cadbury. The purpose of your letter is to convince the company to change their mind and build the world’s largest chocolate fountain as part of the Cadbury Chocolate Experience.
Time: allow at least 60 minutes for this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
“It was the ultimate chocolate experience!”
Write a story that ends with this sentence.
Time: allow at least 25 minutes for this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were at the meeting where it was decided that the world’s biggest chocolate fountain would be scrapped.
Create a conversation between two characters from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.
Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.