Canberra's Big Splash will not open for summer, community feedback sought

ACT government commissions analysis to determine future of Big Splash site In short: Canberra's water park Big Splash has been closed for more than two years, but the business operators had promised to undertake work to reopen in November. Now, the ACT government has confirmed that will not happen and is conducting analysis to determine the site's future. What's next? The government reconfirmed it planned for the site to remain an aquatic facility and would not rezone it for residential purposes. The future of Canberra's water park Big Splash remains uncertain after the ACT government today confirmed it would not reopen for the summer. The site's lessee had committed to reopening in November as it sought a buyer, and said it would commence work on the main pool and ticketing facilities. But today ACT Minister for Sport and Recreation Chris Steel said the government did not believe the site would reopen by the time "as committed to by the lessee". He said the government would commission "a comprehensive options analysis" to determine the site's future. The park, which is a privately owned and operated business, has been closed for more than two years. "This is a disappointing outcome for the many Canberrans who wanted to see it back in operation,"a government statement said. Community feedback to be sought The analysis will explore how much it would cost to deliver various facilities at the site, the government said. It also confirmed it would not rezone the site for residential purposes and the analysis would include community consultation and feedback. "It will also enable interested parties, including potential owner/operators, to come forward with their ideas and plans about the future of the aquatic facility,"the statement said. Mr Steel said the analysis would help inform what was possible on the site and would take into account the broader context of aquatic facilities across the territory. "What are the costs of bringing the existing 50 metre pool back into operation?" Mr Steel asked. "What's the cost of delivering new slide facilities, bringing back the amenities, even delivering new facilities that weren't provided there before?" In June, Ginninderra Labor MLA Tara Cheyne said the reopening date of November 1 was non-negotiable, and that progress leading up to that date would be monitored. "It's not an aspiration. It's a condition. The pool must open," she said at the time. "And if it's not met then obviously the enforcement powers come back into play." 'Gave Belconnen false hope' In a statement, Canberra Liberals member for Ginninderra Peter Cain accused the government of "kicking the can down the road". "Chris Steel must stop threatening Big Splash and should examine all the possible ways Big Splash can reopen, including withdrawing the lease,"Mr Cain said. "Three weeks ago he told me that it should reopen by 1 November. Now he is commissioning another report. That is not enforcement. That is kicking the can down the road. "If he knew it could not reopen when he wrote to me on 25 August, he gave Belconnen false hope. If he didn't, what was his guarantee worth?" ACT Greens leader Jo Clay said the community was frustrated. "I would expect government would terminate the lease, take back the facility and then do its due diligence work about what they do next." She added that there was no need for consultation as "we actually don't need to gauge what the community wants there". "The community wants a pool and a water park," she said.