
A section of the water park set up this week. Photos: Supplied.
Lake Burley Griffin’s first inflatable water park is set to make a splash this weekend when it officially opens on Saturday off Black Mountain Peninsula at 10am.
The park has been taking shape this week with the operators inflating sections and fixing them in place on the water.
Park manager David Watts says the climate over summer makes the inflatable park the perfect attraction for Canberrans looking to experience something different and get out on the lake to beat the heat.
“We are very hopeful that Canberra will respond to the aqua park as it’s generating a lot of interest on social media and we hope that will translate to people coming out and having fun on the lake,” Mr Watts says.
While algae and water quality have been points of contention for locals, Mr Watts says that there is no risk to the public.
“We’re not concerned about algae. The water is tested every week by the National Capital Authority (NCA) and we’re guided by the Government,” he says. “If there is an issue, and water quality is deemed not safe, then the park will be closed.”
The park has sessions every hour between 10am and 4pm, with a maximum of 100 people per session. The aqua park is expecting 500-600 people on its opening day this Saturday, with six lifeguards employed to ensure the safety of patrons.
Day 3 done. Still a bit to go but we will be ready for our grand opening on Saturday. Get on board at canberraaquapark.com/tickets
Posted by Canberra Aqua Park on Tuesday, 5 November 2019
“There will be a minimum of three lifeguards at any time, and that will be ramped up to six when the park is at full capacity,” Mr Watts says. “All participants have to wear a supplied life jacket for their own safety.”
The Canberra Aqua Park hasn’t been without controversy, with the NCA approving it back in August, despite considerable opposition.
Out of 123 written submissions, 65 opposed the water park and 34 wanted the park in a different location. Submissions from Radford College, Rowing ACT and Triathlon ACT all flagged the possibility of the park interrupting their activities on the lake.
The key concerns raised against the application included poor water quality, insufficient parking and amenities, as well as potential clashes with events such as triathlons.
The NCA denied that the park would interrupt other activities.
“The aqua park will occupy a small portion of the of the water surface area within the buoyed swimming beach (approximately 37 per cent) which leaves the majority of space (63 per cent) open to public use, including access to the additional fenced children’s area,” the consultation report said.
“The proposal is unlikely to impact on the nearby rowing sheds, sited approximately 135 metres away from the closest shed.”
The consultation report said that the NCA believed the swim leg of the triathlon and rowing regattas were located outside the swimming beach buoy line.
“The NCA considers that multiple events can occur concurrently at Black Mountain Peninsula, and a large component of the buoyed swimming area remains accessible to the public and for event use,” the report says.
“Therefore, the NCA does not expect any conflicts between scheduled events and the aqua park operation.”
The aqua park is set to run from November through until April, with NCA chief Sally Barnes welcoming additional summer activity on Lake Burley Griffin.
“The NCA is keen to see more community use of Lake Burley Griffin and this trial along with the hopeful reactivation of the pedal boats on the lake in the future, will continue to activate the lake for locals and visitors to our fabulous national capital,” she said back in August.
“This is a trial and we recognise the community’s views and we will continue to work with the Canberra community and stakeholders that utilise this part of the lake for sporting and recreational purposes to ensure that this site is managed for multi-use.”
A wetsuit might be advised, with the Bureau forecasting a partly cloudy day with a minimum of 1C and maximum of just 17C.
Prices start at $20 for a 50-minute Aqua Park session (plus a 10-minute safety briefing). The Aqua Park is located at Lake Burley Griffin, Black Mountain Peninsula, Garryowen Drive, Acton.
To learn more, visit Canberra Aqua Park.
Naomi Bertolotti Jordan Guy this is what I was talking about yesterday
i wanna go on that!
Thought you might!!
Jordan Guy you will have to come visit us now!!
How sanitary is the water? 🤔
Naomi Bertolotti it’s checked every week. The government wouldn’t let you go in if it wasn’t safe 🤷🏼♀️
That’s a lie^ 😂 used to swim at a little bridge with my mates till we found out it was the power stations water outlet 😂
Interesting to see a rowing contest on the Lake on Saturday on the same day the water park opened. Weren’t we told that the water park would take up part of the rowing course and that the two couldn’t co-exist?
Maybe they can get new light rail to stop there??
May as well saddle up a carp and gulp down some Good old lake Curly Gherkin summer lime for the Christmas holiday .... thanks Medicare for this summers free holiday at Canberra Hospital 👍🏿
This wont last long..... not enough movement in the water and algae will come and nca shut it down. Let more people use the lake for power boats in certain areas of stagnant water with little flow.
Bowen Beath you can take Rhiannon and Isaac
Geniene Barbour I’d be more than happy too
Good on NCA for going ahead with this proposal despite the 65 submissions it received from privelledged groups who wanted to keep the lake for their own use and deny the pleasure of enjoying the it to the rest of Canberra. Their pretended concerns about water quality, parking, interference, noise, safety, duck life or whatever were simply made up to protect their own interests and were rightly dismissed. Now let’s bring back the birdman rally, despite the inevitable howls of protest from Canberra’s self appointed guardians of the nanny state.
It’s not about the bad algae that they know about, it’s about the bad algae that don’t know about that would worry me
Elin Nygård Noe for Jentene?
The water would
He delightful to swim in 🤢
Chris Wilson I sooooooo want to go
Natalie Cooper are you busy saturday 😂
Hannah Reynolds oh absolutely not 😂
Samantha Murphy Kyaw Bethany Miller Sophie Immonen Biljana Catanzariti Stefanoski Jenessa O'Connell so cooool
Karina D'Ambrosio when are we going
Biljana Catanzariti Stefanoski soon as it’s summer baby 🙈
Josie Gankowill have to come back to Canberra now that there is another attraction
Emily Ganko I thought I sense an imbalance
Lily O'Brien Tyla Bickley Lucie van der Schalk post exams ?
Athanasia Hatzis yes yes yes
Just wait for the warm weather and the blue green algae.
Jane this will be fun.
Eleanor Blake Fiona Gill Emmy Kudo Thalia Ribot De Bressac Anneka van der Velde let’s go tho
Ray Charles Imogen Mcmillan can we go? ☺️☺️☺️
Ray Charles isn't it open for longer than Saturday? Haha
Derry Hyde this looks awesome
Bernice Cropper happy to fight some kids out of line to get a turn on this