Big Splash water park avoids closure with makeshift tent restaurant
The water park avoided losing its lease. It opened a 24-hour unlicensed restaurant. The restaurant has a marquee, barbecue, and portable toilet.
Big Splash faced nearly two years of regulatory scrutiny and a November 1 deadline. Reopen or lose its Crown lease.
To meet it, the park's owners opened a family restaurant. The restaurant was a market tent with a barbecue and a single portable toilet.
Access Canberra approved the setup on November 2. This allowed the lease to stand.
Canberrans reacted with anger and confusion. The lease allows three uses: a water park, family restaurant, or indoor sports facility.
Only one needs to operate within a rolling 12-month window. Attorney-General Tara Cheyne said inadequate laws tied her government's hands.
Changing the terms could trigger expensive compensation claims.
- November 1
- Regulatory deadline
- Wukong Street Food
- Restaurant operator
- Canberra
- Location
Why it mattersCanberra residents want a working water park. But they face years of delay. The government is exploring buying the site. Legal barriers and unknown costs are slowing things down.
AustraliaCanberra's Big Splash has sat closed for months, and this loophole means it will stay closed, as the makeshift restaurant does nothing to improve the derelict site.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
