Lifeguard’s concerns as Redland ratepayers set to ‘drown’ in plans for four water parks, lagoons

A bayside city could soon become a southeast water park haven with plans in the pipeline for three blue lagoons and a water park within a 30km radius, with ratepayers to foot the bill.

Springfield's’s Orion Lagoon was costing Ipswich $850,000 a year on lifeguards and $2 million for maintenance.

A bayside city could soon become a southeast water park haven with plans for at least three blue lagoons and a water park to be built within a 30km radius.

Redland City, south of Brisbane, has become a focal point for water facilities with plans unveiled for a foreshore blue lagoon at Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour, Birkdale’s Olympic whitewater venue and at Redland Bay’s Shoreline housing estate.

A water park facility has also been earmarked for a proposed sporting complex at Mt Cotton’s Heinemann Rd.

The latest plans for a blue lagoon were unveiled in a draft environmental impact statement for the Toondah Harbour ferry terminal at Cleveland.

The 5426-page document details plans for 3600 high-rise units on reclaimed foreshore land along with open space and recreation areas including a 3.5ha foreshore park with water play and lagoon pool.

Draft designs for the site have been put out for public consultation and show artists’ impressions of an education centre, boardwalks, plazas, walking paths, neighbourhood parks and a ramp for non-motorised vessels such as kayaks and dinghies.

The dark blue at the top of the map signifies an area for a lagoon at Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour and the yellow sections are for a beach-style area.

In 2020, Mayor Karen Williams held discussions with Shoreline developer Lendlease to incorporate a water park, similar to that at Brisbane’s South Bank, into its $2.4 billion master planned community.

This year, the council allocated $15 million in its budget for Stage 1 of the Redlands Coast Regional Sport and Recreation Precinct at Mount Cotton, which will include a water park.

It also included $12.7 million to fund the Birkdale Community Precinct, which will include a blue lagoon.

The four plans have raised concerns with ratepayers who have called for more details on the costs and ongoing maintenance expenses for the four proposals.

Redland City Council declined to answer questions about the costs of staffing the four venues with qualified lifeguards and for maintaining each with the highest safety and water standards.

One of the state’s top life guards, Royal Life Saving Queensland executive director Paul Barry, warned Redland ratepayers of the expenses, calculating maintenance expenses for the four venues could top more than $2 million a year.

“I would question the demand for three of these facilities in Redland — most lagoons are free to enter and so the council will not recoup money from fees,” he said.

“Many of the existing stand-alone lagoons and water facilities in Queensland are not financially viable.

“Councils do fantastic jobs providing the funding to have these facilities but the bottom line is that the ratepayers pick up the tab.”

Mr Barry said on average, a lifeguard could cost about $32 an hour with superannuation on top.

Royal Life Saving Queensland executive director Paul Barry is a consultant for pool and lagoon construction across southeast Queensland.

He said venues such as South Bank had about one guard per 100 swimmers and would expect a Redland venue to employ about four guards at a time, which he calculated to average out to about $370,000 a year.

Mr Barry said on top of that, each venue would have to build a fence to lock the site at night and over the winter period and would also have to include chemical and other water safety measures.

Walker Group, which is designing the Toondah Harbour lagoon, said the lagoon pool was one of the most popular components of the masterplan.

Spokesman Dolan Hayes said many locals strongly supported the lagoon even though there was a group opposed to the development.

“There will always be a small group of people telling the Redlands what they cannot have but that negativity is what holds-back communities and ignores the wellbeing of future generations who are moving to the Redlands, to raise their families and live a great lifestyle,” he said.

“Walker is delivering key community infrastructure which includes the port upgrade, the widening and extension of the Fison channel, new carparking, the lagoon pool, and extensive new and upgraded parks and open space – all at no net cost to government.”

Wetlands at Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour; the priority development area; and an artist’s impression.

Mr Dolan said on completion, the lagoon pool and other infrastructure such as the port, carparking and open space would be handed over to Redland City Council who will own and maintain the assets.

Last year, Ipswich City Council revealed it was spending $850,000 a year on lifeguards to patrol the popular Orion Lagoon at Springfield.

Added to that, Ipswich also spends $2 million a year on maintenance at Orion, which dwarfs the amount of money spent on the city’s other public pools.

Visitor numbers to Ipswich pools took a hit during Covid-19 with the organisation spending just over $3 million on its swim centres in the 2020-21 financial year.

This year, Logan City Council decided to close its Eagleby Aquatic Centre, citing maintenance costs and safety issues.

Last year, Douglas Shire Council mayor Michael Kerr ruled out a free lagoon swimming pool at Port Douglas claiming it would not be financially sustainable “unless the state government allowed councils to introduce a bed tax or something similar”.