Following a record-breaking Australian Open that once again cemented Melbourne’s status as one of the world’s great sporting capitals, global attention is now turning to what comes next for sport, wellness and destination-led investment in Victoria.
As the Australian Open draws to a close after weeks of elite competition, international broadcast exposure and unprecedented fan engagement, a once-in-a-generation development opportunity is emerging just beyond the city limits. CORA, an investment-ready, planning-approved precinct on Victoria’s Surf Coast, is set to be released to market via an international Expressions of Interest campaign.
The 190-hectare site (approx.) just an hour from Melbourne on Victoria’s Surf Coast offers investors the chance to shape the next era of Australian sport, wellness, education, hospitality, nature-based tourism, and regional development.
CORA is not simply a development site; it is a fully envisioned, planning-approved platform where high-performance sport sits alongside global education pathways, hospitality, wellness, nature-based tourism, and environmental restoration.
With a unique rezoning, an endorsed master plan and a world‑class anchor tenant already secured, the project arrives on the market through Cushman & Wakefield with more certainty and more potential than most large‑scale opportunities ever achieve.
The Comprehensive Development Zone land is structured into five integrated precincts that can be delivered in stages. The flexibility embedded in the planning framework allows CORA to evolve with market demand, while its first phase- already investment‑ready, has been strategically designed for immediate delivery.
Phase One of CORA is high-impact anchored by luxury lodges, one of the strongest-performing segments in the Australasian hospitality market, attracting premium domestic and international travellers.
Located in the Great Ocean Road region and within easy reach of Melbourne and two major airports, CORA offers an accessible, immersive Australian luxury experience. Anchored by a partnership with globally recognised tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the precinct will deliver a world-class racquet club and expand into the Southern Hemisphere’s first full Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, positioning CORA as a magnet for elite sport and year-round visitation.
CORA is anticipated to host the academy’s first Southern Hemisphere campus, a move that positions the precinct as a future magnet for elite training, international tournaments, and year-round visitation.
Patrick Mouratoglou said "This is a big move for our brand, we have always loved Australia, a genuine tennis nation and this partnership is an exciting development for the region, providing educational and career opportunities for young students as well as athletes.
“With over half the Australian adult population showing clear interest in tennis and school programs as well as tennis camps, CORA is the perfect partner to help deliver our vision in APAC, creating the number one Tennis School Program in the southern hemisphere” said Mr Mouratoglou of the partnership.
Beyond elite sport, CORA has been deliberately designed to support a scalable education ecosystem, including sports education, coaching academies, sports science, wellness and allied health training, residential programs, and international student pathways. Over time, the planning framework enables education uses to expand, positioning CORA as a Southern Hemisphere hub for global sports education and experiential learning.
“This is a rare and unrepeatable opportunity,” says Noral Wild, Cushman & Wakefield’s Chief Executive of Australia, New Zealand and North Asia.
“CORA has all the ingredients investors look for but so rarely find in one place: scale, flexibility, planning certainty and a globally recognised anchor partner. Importantly, it also offers diversification across sport, education, hospitality and tourism, making it a once-in-a-generation chance to redefine how sport, wellness, education and tourism can coexist.”
More than $17 million has been invested over eight years in enabling works, planning, and design, including significant State and Federal Government contributions. With no further public consultation required and only ministerial sign-off needed for future stages, the delivery pathway is unusually de-risked, and the site is exempt from Windfall Gains Tax - a significant advantage in today’s development environment.
CORA’s location amplifies its potential. Set between the booming Surf Coast and Melbourne’s global gateways, the precinct sits within one of Victoria’s fastest‑growing corridors. Demand for housing, jobs, health services, education and tourism infrastructure continues to surge, creating a powerful foundation for long‑term value.
“The proximity to the Surf Coast and Melbourne positions CORA for year‑round utilisation and high‑value visitation,” says Gabe Lindquist, Director, Alternatives at Cushman & Wakefield.
“This isn’t just a project; it’s a platform for broader regional growth. Investors have the chance to shape something that will influence the region for decades and with land purchase costs already negotiated under below‑market option agreements, the economics of the opportunity are compelling”.
While the Mouratoglou Academy is the first major confirmed tenant, the approved masterplan provides flexibility for a wide range of additional complementary uses, including elite sports facilities, a sports science hub, luxury lodges, a hotel, restaurants, retail village, cultural and events spaces, conservation areas, fitness and wellness amenities, plus agriculture ventures such as a vineyard and cellar door.
Hospitality and accommodation components are designed to support multi-night stays, international training camps, events, families, students and wellness travellers, delivering diversified and resilient revenue streams beyond seasonal tourism. Environmental restoration and stewardship are central to CORA’s vision. The masterplan integrates wetland rehabilitation, biodiversity enhancement, sustainable water management, and low-impact development principles, aligning the project with ESG mandates of global capital while delivering lasting community and environmental benefits.
CORA Co-Founder Daryl Pelchen commented “CORA was always conceived as a global destination for sport, wellness and education, designed to service both the rapid economic growth of the APAC region and Australia’s strongest domestic markets. From the outset, the masterplan was deliberately structured to aggregate a mosaic of complementary uses across a single site, creating a diversified and resilient platform with multiple revenue streams.
Importantly, this next step is a natural progression within the planning and delivery framework established from day one. Through the collective efforts of government, community, advisors and partners, CORA is now genuinely investment-ready.
As Co-Founders, we are excited that the process being led by Cushman & Wakefield will bring the right long-term capital and expertise to realise the full potential of the project and deliver an exceptional outcome for the region.”
Mr Lindquist added that in a market defined by constrained land supply and limited planning certainty, CORA stands out as an investment-ready platform capable of evolving across multiple market cycles.
CORA is for sale via International Expressions of Interest (EOI) through Noral Wild and Gabe Lindquist of Cushman & Wakefield.
The scarcity of an approved, multi-precinct masterplan of this scale, combined with substantial future commercialisation optionality, is expected to generate strong competitive interest from sophisticated capital and development groups. Final transaction parameters will be determined by the structure and delivery pathway decided by the successful counter party.
For more information, please contact Gabe Lindquist and Noral Wild.
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