Tasmanian Premier promises to build the world’s largest chocolate fountain if re-elected
Tasmania’s Premier has suddenly become heavily inspired by Willy Wonka and has vowed to create a ‘world of pure imagination’.
Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has made a bold promise that if re-elected, his Government will partner with tourism pioneer Simon Currant to deliver his vision for the world’s ultimate chocolate experience.
The new experience will sit alongside Cadbury on the Derwent River and feature the world’s largest chocolate fountain, a Tasmanian premium chocolate studio, a chocolate lab with a make your own chocolate bar, a chocolate emporium, café, playground and so much more.
The old Cadbury tours hold a very special place in the hearts of many Tasmanians, mine included.
That absolute joy of visiting with your family, and coming home with pockets full of Cadbury chocolate.
Well, we're going to invest in a marvellous creation of our own. pic.twitter.com/uW1qlzX8yc
— Jeremy Rockliff (@jeremyrockliff) March 9, 2024
Rockliff said tourism was a key part of his 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future and praised Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) for its inspiration.
“We talk a lot about the cultural and economic lift of the MONA-effect, but it’s important that we keep investing, growing, changing and giving visitors even more reasons to visit Tasmania and spend their money in our cities and regions,” Rockliff said.
“This will re-write the ‘must-see’ list for every visitor that comes to Tasmania; hug a Tassie devil, sip wine on Wineglass, stroll Salamanca, climb Cradle, and cap that all off with the sweetest experience of them all at the Chocolate Experience at Cadbury.
“Importantly, the Chocolate Experience at Cadbury is expected to be a huge economic driver for our tourism sector, and our State as a whole.”
The Chocolate Experience is expected to create 300 jobs in construction, 200 jobs on completion and provide a $120 million boost in annual economic activity for Tasmania.
Tasmania’s Labor leader, Rebecca White, said her party would “love to see the visitor experience happen again”, but had doubts over transparency and decision-making.
“The Labor party has already announced a $50m no-interest loans program that would be eligible for operators in the visitors economy to apply to and I would welcome the proponents of the Cadbury visitor experience to make an application under our program,” she said.
“It’s really important that when a government is handing out taxpayer money, they do it transparently. We don’t want to see what happened at the New Norfolk distillery where the Liberal party made commitments and were unable to explain what the criteria were for applications.”
According to The Guinness World Records, the current world’s tallest chocolate fountain is owned by Austrian chocolatiers Confiserie Wenschitz GmbH. It is over 12 metres tall and has a tonne of liquid chocolate cascading down its panels.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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