The Abbot told the official Chinese news agency Xinhua, “If entrepreneurs see business opportunities and want to build a new community of Sino-Australia cultural cooperation, as long as the Australian government, the public and the investors are willing to do it, I just say it is destiny.

“Many friends from the media were curious about how the Shaolin Temple could get so much money to build a golf course and a resort hotel. But the investment and planning [for the golf course and hotel] have nothing to do with Shaolin,” he is reported to have said.

The Xinhua report was posted on Tuesday, the same day Shoalhaven City Council’s Property Steering Committee discussed in confidential session the possibility of extending a deed with the Shaolin to enable council to buy back the land should the project not proceed.

The Abbot’s reported reference to the golf course comes despite the Planning Assessment Commission ruling out that element of the temple project along with a proposal for 300 houses on the 1200 hectare site.

The Abbot told Xinhua he expected the “cultural centre” to open next year. However, there is still a rigorous development application approval process yet to be undertaken.