SA’s first water park at Murray Bridge blocked under ‘draconian’ flood plain planning rules, Mayor says

Plans for a state-first riverside attraction have been scuttled by “draconian” rules from last century to keep water out.

An artist's impression of a new water-sport park planned for Murray Bridge. Picture: Supplied

The Murray Bridge mayor has taken aim at “draconian” planning rules after his council’s development panel knocked back a bid to build the state’s first water-sport park.

Business partners Adam Bruce and Paul Daniel are behind the project alongside the bridge at Murray Bridge, and say they are considering their next steps to win approval.

The development includes building a lake on the waterfront, to be used as a cable ski park, which involves riders being towed around on cables linked to towers.

Another lake would be used as an “aqua park”, with a floating playground. The water park, to be built on former dairy flats, would also be used for other water sports.

Murray Bridge Mayor Brenton Lewis says a water sport park. Photo Naomi Jellicoe

Murray Bridge Mayor Brenton Lewis has asked Mr Bruce and Mr Daniel to consider appealing the decision.

He said rules governing development along the Murray River flood plain were outdated, draconian, and “an absolute caveat” on development in the area.

“It needs a complete overhaul,” Mr Lewis said of the rules, which followed flooding in 1956.

“We need to get in the real world – this is 2020.”

Mr Lewis said the water sports park designs had support from council planners and allowed for water to flow through the development without causing property damage.

But the council’s assessment panel voted 3-2 to knock the development back.

The water-sport park planned for Murray Bridge has been knocked back. Picture: Supplied

The panel refused the development because it did not meet a series of objectives in the local development plan.

Mr Bruce said he was “certainly not giving up” on the project, which promised to bring more tourists to the region.

“We’ve given it a lot of work and spent a lot of time and money to get to this point – we’d be silly to just pull up stumps now,” he said.

“With COVID, interstate travel is off a bit but regional travel will be really significant in the next few years. This feeds in with that direction.”

Mr Bruce said the park would likely employ three or four people full-time and up to 15 would find part-time or casual work there during the busy summer period.

Hammond MP Adrian Pederick said support for the project from government departments and the panel’s split vote showed rules limiting development on the flood plain were not the major factor in the panel denying approval, but rather how those rules were interpreted.

Murray Bridge Council chief executive Michael Sedgman said the council’s development plan, guided by the Development Act, was established by the council in consultation with State Government.

He said there might be scope to relax the 1956 flood plain restrictions under the state’s new planning code, which will replace local development plans.

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