Calls for a water playground in Bunbury have been mounting since 2011 with the City of Bunbury reviewing several plans in the past four years.
In the 2018/2019 budget, City of Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan announced $1 million had been set aside for the project with negotiations with Koombana Caravan Park ongoing.
Bunbury MLA Don Punch said he thought a water park would be an interesting summer addition and hoped it would remain affordable and accessible for South West families.
“The community in Bunbury have long been seeking a water playground,” he said.
“The one in Collie is widely used, it’s right in the centre of town and it was constructed for about $350,000 and kids have a great deal of fun with it.”
In comparison, the City of Bunbury has already spent $440,000 on planning for the water playground.
“The one in Collie is totally public, there is no fees, no costs – people can go in there and have a barbecue or a picnic, the kids can splash around in the water and it activates the town’s centre,” he said.
“You don’t need to build a $1 million water park, I think you can do really interesting things with kids and you don’t have to spend an awful lot of money to achieve it.
“I think great go ahead with it but I also think we should be looking for those little opportunities where you can do something at low cost, which is interesting for families.”
Mr Punch said he was eager to see how the council would progress with plans after the public had shown so much interest in the idea.
“I applaud the City of Bunbury for progressing it but the important thing is making sure it is accessible for our local community,” he said.
“People are battling in Bunbury and the last thing we want is expectations raised about a water park that becomes really expensive.”
Mr Punch suggested Marlston Square or Guppy Park as ideal locations for a water park.
“I hope it’s affordable and as part of the work that the Bunbury Development Committee is doing on the integration of the waterfront with the CBD, I’ll be keen for them to consider how we can activate spaces for families and kids,” he said.
The City of Bunbury were contacted but were not able to respond in time for publication.
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