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Weekend update: Went to LPS again to check on the Volare, thinking not much progress had been made. But, low and behold...

UPDATE: THIS IS NOT A DRILL PEOPLE! WORK HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN ON LUNA PARK'S NEW RIDE, THE "VOLARE"! FINALLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SIX YEARS, LPS WILL OFFICIALLY HAVE A NEW PERMANENT RIDE! IT'S TOO EXCITING I CAN'T STAND IT!!!!! Anyway here are some photos I took of the progress this evening: So far the base of the ride has been set up, although if your mind is in the gutter like mine, it has some very unfortunate looking implications... These seem to be the outer decorations for the ride, which from the looks of it, will feature LPS character staples such as Luna Belle and Luna Bob. Was a pretty busy evening for the rest of the park. Lunar festivities are still ongoing and the Big Top was hosting the Sydney leg of the "Rupaul's Drag Race - Werk the World Tour", so there was a LONG line of Drag Race fans throughout the park.

Ooooh interesting. Just checked the website, a space has already been set up for it. https://www.lunaparksydney.com/rides/volare

Well, after a period of absence I FINALLY managed to return to Luna Park and get some progress shots. The park is currently participating in the 2019 Lunar Festival so naturally there was a lot of oriental decor and celebration. Also the face's teeth has gingivitis for some reason... There isn't much to report on the expansion front, although I did notice two things: 1. The Shooting Gallery has now become a space for some of the park's vintage shooting arcade games such as "Target Zero", etc. The old shooting background is still visible, but I can only assume it'll be repainted to fit theming? 2. Not much to say about the Flying Carousel other than the fact I noticed some temporary fencing. And the inside of the Helter Skelter facade has been painted. Anyway, that's about it for now.

I just hope Brad's successor is as good as he was and has a vast knowledge/respect regarding the history of the park.

I think this where the Flying Carousel is actually supposed to go.

I'll try. It depends on what I have scheduled for each Saturday next month.

Multiplex all smiles at Luna Park win Ian Mutton, an independent councillor on North Sydney Council. Picture: Hollie Adams NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts appears set to agree to demands from property giant Brookfield Multiplex to remove planning controls to allow it to erect rides at Sydney’s Luna Park, some permanently fixed and up to 12-storeys tall, without having to seek development approval. The move comes only months after Mr Roberts defeated Multiplex in a court case in which it sought just such freedom from standard planning procedures. Multiplex will also be allowed to install rides where they are currently prohibited, including the Lavender Green section of the site on Crown land near the northern end of the Harbour Bridge. According to Ian Mutton, an independent councillor on North Sydney Council, it follows a campaign by Multiplex ahead of a March state election, in which it threatened to close the iconic amusement park unless it obtained freedom from having to lodge development applications for new rides. “Nobody wants to be the premier who sees Luna Park close — Multiplex plays that game all the time,” Mr Mutton said. The warning was issued by the managing director of the Multiplex subsidiary Luna Park Sydney, Peter Hearne, in July, after Mr Roberts won a case in the Land and Environment Court against Multiplex, which had claimed it was exempt from planning controls for new rides. “Rules are being interpreted in a way that places the long-term future of the park in doubt,” Mr Hearne said at the time. Soon after that, Multiplex asked the government to provide it with what it had failed to win in court and Mr Roberts, while a final decision is pending, has with some haste taken steps to make that happen in the form of drafting a proposed amendment to the State Environmental Planning Policy governing Luna Park. The SEPP would allow Multiplex, without seeking planning approval, to erect permanent rides and amusements up to a stationary height of 36 metres. When many residents objected, Mr Roberts instituted one of the fastest acts of independent consultation on record: he wrote to the Independent Planning Commission on November 20 requesting advice and that panel met at 8:30am that morning for a one-hour meeting with departmental staff. The IPC sought no public comment, supported the proposal, and issued a press release to that effect three days later. IPC chair Mary O’Kane said the turnaround was “faster than we do on some but not impossibly fast” and reflected the fact “we were asked for very fast advice”. She insisted the process had been independent and rigorous. A spokesman for Mr Roberts admitted the incongruity of his fighting and winning the court case against Multiplex only to subsequently provide the freedom from planning control. “But it’s important for the public and stakeholders to understand the government will always prosecute a vigorous defence of our own laws when challenged,” the spokesman said. Mr Hearne declined to speak to The Australianbut in a statement the company said the proposed changes had received overwhelming support from public submissions. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/property/multiplex-all-smiles-at-luna-park-win/news-story/c07f3c8956366e9f6131e49a8ea9d9c4

Obviously practice is far different to theory @GoGoBoy. We just wanna see Luna Park make the most of it's space so there's an even balance between amusement park rides, and mixed-use entertainment facilities. Because lezbreal; it's been very unbalanced for the last 14 years. But again, we can only see what will happen when it happens. I'm fine with anything as long as they get another coaster and bring the River Caves back....

Yeah, what @AlexB said.

The problem is though, the is very little space around the Rotor to make the Hair Raiser fit. And when one takes into account the queuing area.... yeah I'd prefer it moved into the space between the ferris wheel and Crystal Palace. Visual examples are featured below: In other news, the sign over the "Tango Train" entrance has finally been installed. Apparently this is what constitutes a bridge nowadays....

Ummmm.... could someone else with a bit of nuance rebut this please? Because I can't... I just can't.... Yes I did know all this but I'm talking about LPS specifically. Oh by the way, went back to Luna Park again last night, the Tango Train is down for maintenance. Again. 😒

See I would prefer a coaster to be called Big Dipper. Especially considering LPS still has the name rights for it apparently. Sure, it won't be as BIG as the previous iterations but at least it would a more thrilling coaster than the Wild Mouse (not that that's a dig, we just need an alternative ride to compliment it). IMO, I could see a MACK Big Dipper being built at the park. https://mack-rides.com/products/rollercoaster/bigdipper/ BUT WAIT - I hear you cry - won't it be too big to fit in the Tumblebug space? At first glance yes, but the MACK seems to promote the fact that the layout can be modified and custom made for a small footprint. So if there are modifications done on both sides, I could see a coaster like this fit at LPS, theoretically speaking. If if neighbours wanna complain about noise, they can install mufflers on all the seats, which are placed in front of the mouths of patrons, blocking their screams. COMPROMISE!!! Honestly, I'm not too fond of this proposal at all so I'm kinda glad it's been withdrawn. I mean a cinema might have been a good idea back in 2004 when Multiplex was trying to have Luna Park be a mixed use venue, but times have changed and it feels like that with the recent renovations, they are trying to give LPS a more traditional pier-side amusement park aesthetic. And a cinema doesn't fit that theming imo. Sure, they've modified it so that it's now a flying theatre ride in the vein of "Soarin'" like at DCA and Epcot but I still don't feel like a ride extravagant as that is appropriate for a small park like this, especially when it's proposed to be in the space of more appropriate traditional rides like the upcoming "Flying Carousel" or "Tango Train". I mean I don't object to LPS having a simulator ride, but not to this scale. IMO, I would rather have a decently sized simulation ride placed somewhere like in Maloney's Corner directly behind Coney Island, or they move the Hair Raiser opposite the Ferris Wheel (they would have to level the area with all those worn out steps but that's a good thing honestly considering how worn they look. Leave the ramp though, and some seating for Helter Skelter cafe patrons like myself.) and then put a simulator in that space. Either that or a more permanent "Mystery Manor" style attraction. Honestly, I don't really mind what Luna Park does as long as they have a bigger coaster, have consistent and pristine theming, bring back the River Caves and modify the walkways leading to Maloney's Corner so then that section is more permanently connected to the rest of the park. Feels more "whole" that way. Here's some crap-ass mockups to give you a visual example.

I think this has been withdrawn actually. http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=9056 And a sidenote: personally, I'd prefer to have a rollercoaster on the tumblebug site, mainly for the reason that the Big Dipper building is there. I mean, why have a rollercoaster building when you've got no rollercoaster? It's always bugged me. Granted the options are limited due to space but I've always thought they could extend the slab and have the worker's area undercover. Maybe?

Well credit where credits due; the 80's incarnation did give us the current ferris wheel, which still goes strong to this day after 30+ years of operation (excluding that 7 year period where it didn't run).

No. I really do think the music express that was at Luna Park in the 80's was a different unrelated model to the more know MACK ride that was at the park from 1995-2016. Here's some comparison shots: Here's the "Love Express" in 1982. You'll notice the roof is different compared to... ...the MACK ride which looked more like a tent. (Side note: I am a little disappointed Luna Park didn't give the Rotor it's 2 corner cuts back when they recently renovated it; it would've looked less boxy. But hey, at least "ROTOR" is on both sides of the ride facade now, as well as the back). Also, if you have a copy of "Spirits of the Carnival" (which I don't think is available anymore because of how out of date it is), they show some footage of LPS in the 80's and how soulless it looked. Some of that footage includes the "Love Express", which looks different to the "Tango Train" and it also runs slower. I'd put a link but the docos not available online.

Damn it I meant to say BEFORE it's LPS days, BEFORE!!! Yeah that looks like the model LPS had in the 80's.

I did mention before that the former MACK ride was built in the 80's, which then made it's way to Darling Harbour before settling to Luna Park in 1994. I think it might have been called the "Disco Express" or "Disco Train" in it's LPS days; don't know. However, LPS had a completely different model not built by called the "Love Express" from 1982-1988, which has been previously been brought up before on these forums but I can't remember where.

Oh yeah forgot about that.

Well I was at the park on Saturday and I did see some tents on the old Flying Saucer site where the Flying Carousel is proposed to be. Could be for something completely different though. I also noticed they were beginning to pack up their "Save Luna Park" tent.

That was a different model. But yeah, the MACK ride was also built in the 1980's. Travelled the country before settling into Darling Harbour from 1988-1994, then LPS from 1995-2016. They could. But I didn't think Jamberoo did temporary rides.

Ding ding ding points for everybody.

I............................ I got nothin'; this pic sums up my response.

Renovation updates: Went down to the park again today to check out some of the progress they've made on the Wild Mouse Structure. As you can see, it's a MASSIVE improvement to what it looked like before. The awning near the cafe has also been redecorated in order to fit with the circus tent theming. \ In addition, after months of repair, the Tango Train is once again up and running. But something bugged me about it; they never took the opportunity to finish off painting the office! I was told a year ago that painting would be finished once the TT went into maintenance: Come a year later and jack shit has happened. How come? Anyway, that's all that's been happening so far, can't really do much more atm but it's better than nothing.

https://www.facebook.com/7newssydney/videos/328781931261952/ Oh wow..... This is..... (dramatic pause)..... this is not good.