Following the recent unsuccessful sale of the Big Splash business in Macquarie by the mortgagee, the ACT Government has agreed to commission a comprehensive options analysis for the future of the facility.
The Government is now of the belief that the lessee of Big Splash is not on track to meet their commitment to reopen the pool by 1 November. This is a disappointing outcome for the many Canberrans who wanted to see it back in operation.
Big Splash is a private owned and operated business. However, given the community interest in the site the Government will commission the options report to provide further information to potential buyers, the Government and the current leaseholder on how to best support the reopening of the site as an aquatic facility.
This analysis will deliver a detailed understanding of the practical costs of delivering various facilities, including slides, re-opening pools and other amenities, as well as land valuation, and provide analysis of a viable models of commercial aquatic facility operations on the site.
Importantly, this report will provide a way for the community to have their voice heard in the future plans for Big Splash.
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 Government maintains our position that Big Splash should reopen on the site as soon as possible and understands that for this to happen, any future venture must be commercially viable. The Government is not planning to rezone the site for residential development.
The Government recognises that the community will be disappointed if the Big Splash site does not open for another summer. The Government's position has not changed. Our preference remains that a private party purchases the site and that the aquatic facility reopens for the community as soon as possible.
This work presents the most practical pathway forward to see the site reactivated as soon as possible and will also help to inform development of the broader ACT Aquatic Strategy.
It will also take into account the requirement, in the Government's agreement for CISAC, that the Territory may not construct and/or operate new swimming pools, sporting or leisure venues within a radius of 5 kilometres.
Quotes Attributable to Chris Steel, Minister for Sport and Recreation:
"The lessee at Big Splash has not given the community the opportunity to have their say on the future of the site, so the ACT Government will.
"The Government is commissioning this report as a practical way of supporting a buyer to come forward who can bring the site back into use as an aquatic facility. This options analysis will give a realistic cost of what is viable on the site to inform the lessee, a buyer, the Government and the community.
"We call on the lessee to cooperate fully with this process, which we hope will provide a pathway forward for Big Splash.
"I want to be clear that the Government is not proposing to rezone the site residential development. Our priority continues to remain seeing a commercially viable aquatic facility reopen for the community to use as soon as possible."
