Australia-based leisure company MFS Living and Leisure has announced plans to develop sites in New York and New Zealand for its treetop walkways business.

CEO of MFS Living and Leisure, Marshall Vann, said the move was part of its commitment to growing its business internationally.

MFS has secured sites for the projects in Lake George in the state of New York and Lake Brunner on New Zealand’s South Island. The projects have a combined development cost of AUS$18m (10.8m euro, US16m, £7.7m) and are expected to be completed in 2010.

The 70-acre Lake George site, 325km from New York City was acquired for US$1m (0.7m euro, AUS$1.13m, £0.48m) and will see the creation of a 520m-long treetop walk, 28m off the ground, with a spiral tower 45m above the ground. A visitor centre and café will also be built.

“The treetop walk will be designed to capitalise upon the site’s mountain-top location some 300 metres above Lake George,” said Vann. “It will provide visitors with spectacular views of Lake George and the surrounding heavily forested mountains.”

The area currently receives 3.5 million day visits per year and an additional 3 million overnight stays.

“Lake George fulfils our criteria of expanding in regions where there is an established leisure and tourism sector within a stable economy with a large idle class,” said Vann.

He added that the company is also looking at further potential treetop sites near Niagara Falls and the north west cost of the United States.

In New Zealand, MFS has leased a site 30km inland from Greymouth, where it will build a 500m walkway, 20-30m high, with a spiral tower, visitor centre and café. The company will have to undertake a Maori cultural heritage assessment as part of the approval process.

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