Australia’s first indoor snow resort has taken a step forward, signing a partnership with global Chinese operator Bonski Group — a move its developers say positions western Sydney for a new era of tourism investment.
Key Takeaways
- Winter Sports World (WSW) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese global indoor snow giant Bonski Group.
- The $700m project is billed as Australia’s largest private tourism development, but the company is not saying how much of that money has been raised.
- Hammons Holdings, the operators of Scenic World and BridgeClimb, previously announced as the on-snow operator, will no longer be involved.
- WSW is expected to inject more than $222 million into the economy each year and create 2,700 jobs.
- The resort will feature a 300m ski run, a 200-room hotel and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest indoor snow play area.
- Construction is shovel-ready, with capital raising now open.
Key Background
Winter Sports World, a $700 million indoor snow resort planned for Penrith in western Sydney, has formalised a partnership with Chinese indoor snow powerhouse Bonski Group.
The deal was signed in Guangzhou in the presence of NSW Minister for Trade Anoulack Chanthivong and is being positioned as a vote of confidence in both the project and Western Sydney’s growing tourism credentials. Bonski, which operates some of the world’s largest indoor snow centres, will take on operational responsibilities ranging from snowmaking and safety to guest experience and commercial optimisation.
WSW managing director Peter Magnisalis said the partnership validates the “scale, ambition and commercial strength” of the project. “Western Sydney is undergoing the most significant infrastructure expansion in its history,” he said. “This agreement gives the market a clear signal: the region is ready for globally competitive, investable tourism assets.”
The deal cuts out the previously announced on-snow operator, Blue Mountains-based Hammons Holdings, operators of Scenic World and BridgeClimb. “Due to other priorities with the Hammons Holdings group such as the ownership of Sydney Zoo, Hammons Holdings is no longer the potential operator of Winter Sports World,” managing director Anthea Hammon said in an email. “We maintain an excellent working relationship with Peter and wish the Winter Sports World team every success as they get the project off the ground.”
Asked how much money had been raised, Magnisalis declined to give a figure. “However, our capital raise is well underway and progressing strongly, with significant interest from both domestic and international investors,” Magnisalis told Forbes Australia in an email.
“Partnering with the most experienced, credentialled indoor snow operator in the world reinforces WSW is well on its way as becoming Australia’s next tourism icon.”
Independent modelling forecasts more than 1.3 million visitors per year, generating $2.5 billion for the NSW economy over the first decade. More than half of the 2,700 projected jobs will be ongoing roles.
Located 15km from the under-construction Western Sydney International Airport and roughly an hour from the Sydney CBD, Winter Sports World’s plans include a 300-metre advanced ski run, beginner slopes, snow play areas, alpine dining, Indigenous-inspired landscaping and an “ice-blizzard” facade. It’s one of many projects gearing up ahead of the airport’s completion set for late 2026.
The snow will be real, chemical-free and produced using energy-efficient systems as part of a net-zero operational goal.
Bonski Group president Lu Peng called WSW a “next-generation project”.
“WSW aligns perfectly with Bonski’s expertise, and we are excited to help deliver a world-leading, climate-resilient, year-round snow experience in Australia that will redefine snowplay in this market,” Lu Peng said in a statement.
The project has full approvals in place and is raising capital. Magnisalis, told Forbes Australia early this year that it would break ground in the middle of 2025. That hasn’t happened yet.
He says now it will begin “in coming months”. “We’ve deliberately sequenced the project to ensure every stage is underpinned by world-class operational expertise, which is exactly why formalising our partnership with Bonski now is so important.”
Asked if Bonski had put money into the project, a representative said it was “an operational partnership”.
Bonski’s beat
Centre Name / Location | Status (Open / Announced) | Year Opened or Announced | Approx. Indoor Snow Area / Size / Notable Specs |
|---|---|---|---|
Huafa Snow Bonski | Open (as of Sept 2025) | 2025 | ~100,000 m² dome; 5 ski slopes totalling 1,569 m run length; vertical drop 83 m; longest single run 463 m; includes a 4,000 m² Ice & Snow “Wonderland” for snow play & entertainment. |
Guangzhou Bonski Snow Centre | Operating | 2019 | Indoor snow dome of tens of thousands of m²; among China’s largest indoor ski venues; often cited as one of the six of the world’s eight largest by snow-area. |
Zhengding Bonski Resort | Soft-opened 2025 | 2025 | ~30,000 m² indoor snow area — slopes plus snow-play / entertainment zones. |
Hangzhou Bonski | Announced / Under development | 2025 | Project covers 84,000 m² construction area on a 52-hectare site; expected to be the largest indoor-ski resort in Zhejiang Province. |
Various Bonski-operated domes in China (total network) | Operating + Expansion pipeline | 2025 (network data) | Bonski operates ≈11 indoor snow-centres currently, with at least 3 more under development for completion by end of 2025 — making it among the world’s largest indoor-snow operators. |
Tangent
Penrith — better known for 45°C summer days than fresh powder — is an unlikely epicentre for Australia’s snow ambitions. Its highest recorded temperature was 48.9°C in January 2020 — a day when it was the hottest place on earth. But it is also one of the coldest places in Sydney. Its record low was −1.8°C on 16 July 2018.
Big Number
190 — That’s how many indoor snow centres there are around the world, across 50 countries, but this will be the first in Australia. If you take places with a slope big enough to ski, the number drops to around 125.
