Snow-seeking Sydneysiders, we’ve got news. Construction work on Australia’s first indoor snow resort is due to start very soon – with the huge snowsports centre on track to open in Penrith in 2028. Taking over what is currently a horse paddock located within Penrith’s Riverlink Tourism Precinct, Winter Sports World will offer year-round access to snow sports and mountain fun, complete with mountainside cafés, a 300-metre advanced open ski run, a competition venue and a 170-room hotel.
The proposal to build Winter Sports World in Sydney’s Western Suburbs was granted State Significant Development Application (SSDA) approval by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment way back in January 2024, but due to the scale of the project (it’s the largest new attraction project currently in Australia and the biggest ever in Western Sydney), it’s taken a hot minute for construction to start. According to the team behind the project, construction on the $700-million Winter Sports World will begin in the first half of this year, with the opening date slated for 2028.
The ambitious project is expected to double visitor numbers for Penrith: attracting more than one million visitors every year, generating 1,350 new ongoing tourism jobs and injecting an estimated $222 million per year into the local economy.
Local developer, Peter Magnisalis, explains how the indoor mountain has turned from a “pie-in-the-sky dream” to “a real project and on course to bring the snowfields to Sydney.”
After visiting the site in December 2024, NSW Premier Chris Minns described the project as “Western Sydney’s jewel in the crown of tourism attractions,” – citing its broad appeal for visitors from “Australia and beyond.’’
And while there's huge appeal for tourists (who would otherwise have to travel as far as Perisher for a dose of snow in NSW), the main impact will be on the residents of Western Sydney. Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said of the project: “It just blows my mind that in a few short years we're going to have this opportunity for our kids to enjoy something we could have never dreamt about in Penrith,” describing how young people in Western Sydney “deserve the very best, and they're going to get it”.
The first stage of construction is set to involve a giant basement water tank/snow machine – all this before construction of the mountain itself can begin. Technical challenges aside, the design has considered cultural and environmental factors – designed to be net-zero carbon ready, aided through consultation with Dharug nation representatives.
Though we have some time to wait until slopes open in 2028, it doesn’t mean we can’t get excited – with the projected designs for the $700-million project featuring a ski run, climbing wall, competition venue and a four-star winter wonderland hotel. Stoked? Us too.