An old coal mine will be transformed into a tourism hotspot for revheads with a motor park, go-kart track and Formula One-designed driving circuit.
Rhondda Colliery in the NSW Hunter region will become Australia's first dedicated recreation resort for motoring enthusiasts once completed.
The Lake Macquarie mine began underground and open-cut mining activities in the late 1800s before operations finished in 1971.
The site will be overhauled as the Black Rock Motor Resort, home to a world-class high-speed circuit - designed by F1 track leader Tilke - as well as a driver training academy, go-kart precinct and motoring resort facilities.
Its transformation into a multi-tourism hotspot will create more than 450 jobs during construction and 229 permanent roles, the state government said on Tuesday.
The rehabilitation has been made possible under a framework that allows former mining land to be repurposed.
The Rhondda site has been operated by ASX-listed coal miner Yancoal since 2017, while the motorsport park plan was approved in 2019.
The $95 million project is entirely privately funded and the track's developer will be responsible for ongoing rehabilitation at the site, the sale of which by Yancoal has been finalised.
Other major projects in NSW being considered for post-mine land use include Idemitsu's Muswellbrook coal mine and Yancoal's Stratford mine near Gloucester on the mid-north coast.
The sites could be rehabilitated into renewable energy hubs and pumped hydro facilities.
Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos said the Rhondda Colliery project was innovative and she hoped similar schemes could be replicated across the state.
"We know that coal mines will be closing over coming decades and we think there's a great opportunity to continue to encourage jobs and economic diversification across former coal mining regions," she said.
"What I'm really interested in is using the convening power of government to find the opportunities to make it easier for these (rehabilitation) projects to get off the line."
Black Rock Motor Resort founder Tony Palmer said safety was at the forefront of the project as its backers sought to attract domestic and international visitors.
"We've got 100,000 active participants in motor clubs or car clubs around the country and they don't have a home," he said.
"We want this to be their home, we want them to come here and enjoy their passion with like-minded individuals."
The resort was designed to showcase the natural beauty of the region and help rejuvenate the environment, he said.
The resort's developers hope the facility will be open to drivers within two years.
Australian Associated Press
