Canberra’s water park Big Splash, closed since over two years, was scheduled to reopen in November following promises of renovations by its operators. However, ACT Minister Chris Steel announced the site likely won’t open this summer as planned. The government is now conducting an analysis to explore different options for the aquatic facility, considering costs and community feedback while ruling out rezoning for residential use. Community members expressed disappointment but hope that the analysis might offer a path forward for reopening or reimagining the park's future.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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.
asserted
operators → close → November
Now, the ACT government has said that will likely not happen and is conducting analysis to determine the site's future.
What's next?
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What → say → future
The government reconfirmed it planned for the site to remain an aquatic facility and would not rezone it for residential purposes.
asserted
site → reconfirm → purposes
The future of Canberra's water park Big Splash remains uncertain after the ACT government today said it would likely not reopen for the summer.
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it → remain → 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.
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it → commit → pool
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".
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site → say → lessee
He said the government would commission "a comprehensive options analysis" to determine its future.
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government → say → future
The park, which is a privately owned and operated business, has been closed for more than two years.
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which → own → years
"This is a disappointing outcome for the many Canberrans who wanted to see it back in operation,"a government statement said.
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statement → want → Canberrans
Community feedback sought
The analysis will explore how much it would cost to deliver various facilities at the site, the government said.
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government → seek → site
It also confirmed it would not rezone the site for residential purposes and the analysis would include community consultation and feedback.
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analysis → confirm → consultation
"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.
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statement → enable → facility,"the
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.
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Steel → say → operation
"What's the cost of delivering new slide facilities, bringing back the amenities, even delivering new facilities that weren't provided there before?"
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that → deliver → facilities
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.
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progress → say → date
The pool must open," she said at the time.
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she → open → time
"And if it's not met then obviously the enforcement powers come back into play."
'Gave Belconnen false hope'
Save Big Splash chair Amelia Tattam said the group was disappointed the park was unlikely to reopen in November.
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park → meet → November
"This is a promise that has been made to the community a few times now,"she said.
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that → make → community
"With global warming and everything that's currently happening in our climate, it's so important that we have these spaces where people can go recreationally to cool down."
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people → happen → spaces
Ms Tattam said she hoped the analysis the government had commissioned would provide an opportunity for all stakeholders to work together and find a solution.
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stakeholders → say → solution
"We really want to work with the government and potential buyers to build it back to what it was and create one of Canberra's most loved spaces again," she said.
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she → want → spaces
In a statement, Canberra Liberals member for Ginninderra Peter Cain accused the government of "kicking the can down the road".
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member → accuse → 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.
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Cain → stop → ways
"Three weeks ago he told me that it should reopen by 1 November.
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it → tell → November
Now he is commissioning another report.
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he → commission → report
That is kicking the can down the road.
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That → kick → road
"If he knew it could not reopen when he wrote to me on 25 August, he gave Belconnen false hope.
uncertain
he → know → hope
If he didn't, what was his guarantee worth?
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guarantee → do → ?
ACT Greens leader Jo Clay said the community was frustrated.
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community → say → ?
"I would expect government would terminate the lease, take back the facility and then do its due diligence work about what they do next."
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they → expect → what
She added that there was no need for consultation as "we actually don't need to gauge what the community wants there".
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community → add → what
"The community wants a pool and a water park," she said.
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she → want → pool
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