Canberra's abandoned recreation sites spark call for automatic lease termination
Big Splash closed in March 2024 and has not reopened. Community demands stricter lease enforcement.
Canberra's Big Splash waterpark sits closed and fenced off. The public was promised the 50-metre pool would reopen by last November.
The nearby Hawker tennis centre has been unused since 2012. The site is now derelict, and vandals regularly set rubbish fires there.
Former sport minister Yvette Berry told a parliamentary inquiry both sites are in poor condition. Community members said leaseholders are sitting on the land while letting it decay.
They hope to develop it for more profitable uses. Over 1,000 planning complaints about land squatting were lodged in the ACT last year.
Supporters want leases to end if a site is not used for its intended purpose for two years. They want clear warnings and deadline enforcement.
- March 2024
- Big Splash closure date
- November 1
- Promised reopening date
- 2012
- Hawker centre unused since
- Over 1,000
- Squatting complaints in ACT
Why it mattersPublic recreational facilities are trapped in private leases with little accountability. Communities lose access to promised services. They have no legal route to reclaim the sites.
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