• Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Riding a wave for therapy
  • Fisher to take over at Baxter
  • Hunter finds success with Thronum progeny
  • Stonecats continue their dominance, Langwarrin first-quarter blitz sets up win
  • Railway Commissioners’ visit to the peninsula
  • Jetty repair in the budget pipeline
  • Bus shelters vandalised
  • Cars stolen after break-ins
Facebook Twitter
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Competition
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»Latest News»Islanders oppose prison farm ‘vision’
Latest News

Islanders oppose prison farm ‘vision’

By Stephen TaylorJune 26, 2018No Comments3 Mins Read
STATE Tourism John Erin with Xu Ziyun, CEO of the company that has bought the historic McLeod prison farm on French Island.
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
STATE Tourism minister John Erin with Xu Ziyun, CEO of the company that has bought the historic McLeod prison farm on French Island.

FRENCH Island residents concerned about ambitious plans by Chinese investors to turn the rural hamlet into a “second Phillip Island” will discuss their fears with Hastings MP Neale Burgess this Sunday (1 July).

Since the sale of the former McLeod Prison Farm to the Chinese Wufu Group last year for a reported $4 million, the islanders have heard rumours about the new owners wanting to remodel their investment into something like their much-busier neighbour.

Members of the French Island Community Association want to make plain their opposition to the reported plans, with one saying: “This is not government policy and not what French Islanders want.

“The reason most of us live here is that it is the quiet island – not like Phillip Island. In fact, several French Island residents are refugees from over-development and over-crowding.”

Chinese business woman Xu Ziyun, CEO of Wufu Investments, Shanghai, met with state tourism minister John Eren last July to discuss future plans for the prison farm and the island generally, which she glowingly referred to on her company’s website: “The [Victorian government] representatives suggested that we could make great efforts to develop tourism on the island of France (sic) and make her the second Phillip Island (the most popular tourist attraction in the area).”

She said the state government “will fully cooperate with” Wufu and “hopes to take the French island into a key strategy” with Phillip Island.

Also at the meeting were representatives of the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources and Regional Development Victoria (RDV).

A recent post on the Wufu website in Chinese said: “Our esteemed customers can soon look forward to a holiday on Wufu Island” – seemingly referring to French Island.

“Not only do they want to impose a major tourist development upon this island of 115 residents, they have already decided to re-name it,” the community group member said.

The Wufu group is a primary service provider in China of elderly care, tourism, and the “cultural travelling industry”.

Its stated plans for the island include: Turning the jail into a tourist centre and museum, and building a string of one-storey flats as a hostel, a business centre where “tourists can work at the same time as holidaying”, a Chinese herb farm, and, contentiously, establishing health facilities, such as hot springs, to “cure our body and mind”.

First published in the Western Port News – 26 June 2018

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Shire ‘no’ to Esso’s bid for power

June 27, 2022

Call for panel to consider future of green wedge

June 27, 2022

Waste not wanted – ‘report dumpers’

June 27, 2022

Building fire risk ‘update’ by August

June 27, 2022
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Weather
Jun 30, 2022 - Thu
Mornington, Australia
8°C
overcast clouds
overcast clouds
0 m/s, W
68%
766.57 mmHg
thu06/30 fri07/01 sat07/02 sun07/03 mon07/04
light rain
10/9°C
light rain
11/10°C
broken clouds
11/10°C
overcast clouds
11/9°C
sky is clear
12/10°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click here to read

June 27, 2022
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click here to read

May 26, 2022
Council Watch

Keeping watch on councillor costs

June 27, 2022

Leadership lacking for ‘neutral’ policy

June 20, 2022
Interview

Awards help call Australia home

June 20, 2022
Property of the Week

278 Dundas Street, Rye

May 11, 2022
100 Years Ago This Week

Railway Commissioners’ visit to the peninsula

June 28, 2022
Contact
Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Competition
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2022 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.