Murray Bridge and Mannum compete to host SA’s first water-sports park as new plans are announced for Murray Bridge
Artificial lakes would be dug on former dairy land on Murray Bridge’s riverside under a plan developers say will turn the town into a water-sports hotspot.
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Murray Bridge and Mannum will compete to host the first water-sport park in SA.
Business partners Adam Bruce and Paul Daniel have lodged plans with the local council for a new venue on the waterfront alongside the bridge at Murray Bridge.
The Murray Bridge plans come just days after The Advertiser revealed water sports business Landn Parks was aiming to open a 10ha water adventure park at Mannum before the end of next year, next to housing and marina development Mannum Waters.
Mr Bruce said the Murray Bridge project aimed to make water sports accessible for everyone, regardless of whether they could afford the expensive costs of a boat and skiing equipment.
“Our market is the guys that always wanted to try wakeboarding or water skiing but haven’t had a boat or maybe have tried it with mates or in a school camp and loved it,” he said.
“You don’t meet too many people that have spent a day or a weekend out skiing and going on a tube that go, ‘That was no fun, I never want to do that again’.”
Mr Bruce was tight-lipped on how much his project, Bridge Park, would cost, and said if approved, work would start as soon as possible, aiming for an opening in late 2021.
The development includes building two lakes on waterfront land. One would be used as a cable ski park, which involves riders being towed around the lake on cables linked to towers.
The other would be used as an “aqua park”, with a floating playground.
Their site, to be built on former dairy flats, would also be used for other water sports, such as kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddle boarding.
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Mr Bruce said the business wanted to create a “water-sports hub” for South Australia.
“We’ve got a two-lane freeway right down to our doorstep,” he said.
“With everything else going on in this region like the Monarto Zoo, motorsport park and the Bridgewater Hotel development, we want to go throw this into the mix as something a little bit different.”
Plans are expected to be released for consultation within the next fortnight.