An artist’s impression of the Lake Burley Griffin floating sauna. Photo: Nigel Reeves, Providence NDR.
The National Capital Authority (NCA) has provided final approval for a floating sauna to open at Lake Burley Griffin in early 2025, despite public concerns expressed about smoke from the woodburning stove that would heat the water for the sauna.
Providence NDR, the company that operates a floating sauna on Lake Derby in Tasmania, was granted a licence to launch something similar on Canberra’s main lake to the east of Yarralumla Beach in March 2024.
The proposal includes a 78-metre pontoon that will consist of two saunas, changing rooms and a gathering space, as well as a 10.5-metre-long gangway connecting the floating sauna to the land and 4.2-metre-high sauna structures and changing rooms on the floating pontoon.
Final approval was granted in August after a public consultation process on the proposed location, design and materials.
A consultation paper released by the NCA indicated a number of public submissions expressed concerns about a woodburning stove that will be used to heat the sauna.
“The last thing the ACT needs is more wood burning, especially since the ACT is scheduled to phase out wood burning by 2045,” one submission wrote.
“If the proposal is to go ahead, the woodburning stove part must be removed and replaced with a cleaner (ideally electric) heat source. Allowing the sauna to go ahead with a woodburning stove as its heat source would be an absolute and inexcusable travesty and betrayal of your public trust obligations.”
The floating sauna in Lake Derby, Tasmania. Photo: Floating Sauna Lake Derby.
Peak environmental body, the ACT Conservation Council, expressed a similar view.
“Council opposes the use of wood-burning fires on the structures … while a traditional wood fire in a sauna would ‘offer nostalgic charm and comfort’ … the smoke they emit is a direct source of pollution.”
Another submission wrote: “The adjacent Yarralumla Beach is a popular place for health and recreation and fresh air. Air quality of current Yarralumla beach users will be compromised by smoke from constantly burning wood stoves and firepits, which would be a great loss to beach users.”
The NCA says the Providence NDR proposal addresses these concerns.
“It is proposed that the wood for the floating saunas will be sourced from driftwood collected by the sauna operators,” the NCA stated in its consultation paper.
“It is proposed that this driftwood supply will be redirected to the floating saunas after it is dried and cut. Smoke will be managed through the delivery of dry firewood, stored out of the weather. Staff will be trained to use camphor-soaked firesticks at the start-up firing, as this has been found to be the time when the most smoke is created.
“Once the sauna stoves are alight, visible smoke and smell is not seen to be an issue at the Lake Derby, Tasmania floating saunas.”
The NCA is in discussion with Providence NDR about the commencement and program of works onsite.
The company intends to commence operations in early 2025.
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