Lead petitioner Dani Hunterford and ACT Greens MLA Jo Clay at what’s left of Big Splash Waterpark in Macquarie. Photo: James Coleman.
When Jo Clay was a kid growing up in Belconnen, Big Splash Waterpark was the “premium birthday party venue for the whole area”.
Not so much anymore.
The weeds are sprouting through the concrete at the site in Macquarie. A tattered piece of fabric flaps in the breeze at the top of one of the waterslide towers. The slides themselves appear faded and brittle. The only water in sight is in the open-air pool, and due to rain.
“Clearly, we need something to happen out here,” Ms Clay continued.
“And I think it’s really good for government and the local business to get together and see what can happen.”
The ACT Greens MLA has sponsored a petition asking the ACT Government to step in and “bring back the Big Splash”.
“Investigate all possible avenues to keep this important community facility open for use this summer and for future generations of Canberrans, including buying the facility and operating it as a public pool,” the petition reads.
“Guarantee that the zoning of the land as Parks and Recreation PRZ2 Restricted Assess Recreation is retained to ensure this valuable community facility remains a community facility.”
Not looking so flash. Photo: James Coleman.
Big Splash was meant to open for the 2024/2025 season on 30 November 2024, according to a post on the waterpark’s official Facebook page. Only its famous slides would be out of action due to “major works including upgrading the filtration systems on them”.
But come school holidays, the pools didn’t reopen. Instead, the phone went dead, the website was listed as “under maintenance,” and the Facebook page was deleted – all without a word from the management about what was going on.
The waterpark finally broke radio silence in late December, and only after the government pressured them for an answer.
The dilapidated entrance. Photo: James Coleman.
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry, the management reiterated it “is our intention to continue to run [Big Splash] … but currently we are working through significant rectification and maintenance work required for the safe operation of the park”.
“These include, but are not limited to, fixing cracking in the pools, repainting and tiling of the pool as needed, repairing the old slide (pumps, filtration systems, structural steel and main control systems), renovating the change rooms, the kitchen and café area as well as improving the landscaping with more seating and table areas,” the letter read.
“We are also working with professional consultants on a plan to add other recreational facilities to upgrade the functional contents of the park for the community to be used not only in the summer season of the year. These plans are in the infancy stage but will continue to be on in accordance with any government planning requirements.”
Since then, like government and the media, Ms Clay has also tried to contact the owners “via a few different methods … but we’re not managing to get through”.
“I think it is clear that this is a tricky time for this particular site,” Ms Clay said.
“There are lots of choices the government could make … I think it’s really up to the government to have a look at this and see what can be done.”
The options include the government buying the facility and operating it as a public pool, fixing it up before leasing it to a private operator, or approaching other pool operators around the country to see if they are interested in taking on Big Splash.
It also calls for the government to guarantee the zoning of the land to “ensure it remains a community facility for future generations”.
The only water in sight is in the open-air pool, and that’s because of rain. Photo: James Coleman.
The petition is the brainchild of Dani Hunterford, who has since joined the ACT Greens as a party member.
Like Ms Clay, she is a former Lismore resident who remembers coming to Canberra as a kid and having “a lot of fun” at Big Splash with her cousins.
“I saw the uproar in local community groups, and I saw that people missed this facility,” she said.
“This summer in particular … we’ve seen the devastating impacts of climate change and how it’s just made the weather absolutely unbearable in Canberra, and we need community facilities that deliver for Canberrans such as this one.”
So far, ‘Bring back the Big Splash’ has accrued more than 200 signatures. It has to receive 300 more (for a total of 500 or above) by 28 February to be referred to a government committee inquiry for discussion.
An ACT Government spokesperson told Region, “The government will respond to the petition in accordance with standing orders and procedures”.
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