Water Park

Sue Brooks — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 09:05:56 +0000

Some comment on the WATER PARK.

Council had to make a decision about the Water Park recently. I am still very annoyed about how painful this process has been. Hervey Bay City Council had not asked for funding for a Water Park so when $5 mil. funding was granted to Wide Bay Water for a Water Park it presented the old HBCC with some difficulties. Firstly HBCC didn’t have matching funding within the budget and secondly all sites that were earmarked as possible sites had constraints.

I personally did not want to simply give back $5mil to the State Govt but I strongly felt that for a project of this size community consultation should have happened before a final decision was made. As can be seen below I narrowly lost a motion to have community consultation but then I also decided to vote against the proposal as planned because of this lack of community input and that I don’t agree that this design in this site is the best outcome for our Water Park.

The Water Park is proposed to include fountains spurting water across the road from the Main St roundabout and takes up a 20m strip down the side of the caravan Pialba Caravan Park which will mean reduced revenue to Council. Also there is a privately leased café, The Boatshed, already in this location and that business will reap an income from the Water Park that will be lost to Council or WBW. The Water Park is basically a big flat area for younger children to play amongst water jets and includes a space for a small wave rider. Trees are expected to be retained apart from the ones in the roundabout which will all be lost.

While I think a Water Park will be a good thing to have, it will cost thousands and thousands of dollars to operate. Council has conditioned its approval by asking WBW to finance the ongoing costs from business income but I have concerns about how this will occur also especially as the opportunity to have a profitable café is compromised somewhat. Water companies are not usually in the business of running water parks so I hope that we can sort out any difficulties and make this park successful without compromising our Council/WBW budget. I personally would have preferred the Water Park be located to the far East of the Seafront Oval area closer to Tooan Tooan Creek to better fit car parking and take the pressure off the caravan park, trees and Main St roundabout.

From the Council minutes…….

ORD 10.8 Hervey Bay Water Education Park – Hervey Bay

MOVED ( Brooks / Harris )

That:

1. Council undertake a community consultation process in relation to the Water Education Park based on the preliminary proposal provided by Wide Bay Water Corporation; and

2. Council advise Wide Bay Water Corporation of the financial parameters and request that Wide Bay Water Corporation provide final design details and financial feasibility report to Council for approval.

LOST (5/6)

Upon a Division being called the following voting resulted:

FOR: Councillor Brooks

Councillor Dalgleish

Councillor MucKan

Councillor Harris

Councillor Hawes

AGAINST: Councillor McNeven

Councillor O’Connell

Councillor Nioa

Councillor Kruger

Councillor Arthur

Councillor Hovard

RESOLUTION ( McNeven / Nioa )

That:

1. The Fraser Coast Regional Council approves the location for the new Water Park site at the head of Main Street, Pialba, as per Attachment 3 of report DOC #837087.

2. Council endorses in principle the relinquishment of its tenure interests in the land identified in Attachment 3 of report DOC #837087, including an area of 20m off the end of the Pialba Caravan Park.

3. Council advise Wide Bay Water Corporation to submit appropriate building approvals.

4. Apart from the land component, Council will also provide 70 car parking spaces and an ablutions block on its own land as its capital contribution to the project. Council advise Wide Bay Water Corporation that the limit of Council’s financial contributions will be the cost of the car parks and toilet block.

5. Council request Wide Bay Water Corporation to include a commitment for the Educational Water Park in the Statement of Corporate Intent that demonstrates the intentions for the facility to be cost neutral without impacting on any short-term or long-term dividends to the Council.

6. The Commercial activities proposed for the site be subject to agreement between Council and Wide Bay Water Corporation with the joint intention of making a successful and appropriate venture for the region.

7. Council request Wide Bay Water Corporation to place information on the project in prominent public places, such as the libraries and Council foyers, and the information be disseminated widely through the media, especially the print media in the region, giving full details of the proposal including the draft designs.

Carried (10/1)