Making waves: Private Wyndam Vale water park opens to residents
Wyndham Vale is set to get wet and wild when Melbourne’s first residents-only indoor water park opens this weekend with “amazing and fast” water slides that reach 16 metres in height.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It’s the ultimate in bragging rights for kids: my house comes with a water park.
And for children in a western suburb’s new housing estate, the bragging starts today as Melbourne’s first residents-only indoor water park opens this weekend.
It comes as the head of Victoria’s development industry peak body backed a suggestion developers have a major part to play in encouraging Melburnians to put their phones away and have some “old-fashioned family fun”.
RELATED: Melbourne indoor water park to be biggest in southern hemisphere
Delay for Dingley Village’s monster water park
Developer guarantees buyers won’t overpay for Melbourne estate
The $16.65 million private aquatics centre features a pair of 16m tall water slides that spiral as far as 81m through tunnels that twist outside the building, water cannons, a toddler pool and a 25m lap pool for mum and dad opens at Wyndham Vale’s Jubilee estate today.
Conor, 8, was the first kid to test one of the water slides and said “the slides are amazing and fast”.
Developer Lotus Living’s general manager Daniel Smith said the water park took 18 months to build, but showed the major part property developers could play in helping get kids away from screens and back outside.
“What the industry needs to do is provide better amenity to residents, especially in Wyndham Vale and the growth areas of Melbourne,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s outdoor activity that helps to promote health and wellbeing.”
Urban Development Institute of Victoria chief executive Danni Hunter echoed the sentiment.
“While technology is great in many ways, people are craving activities that force them to put their phones away,” Ms Hunter said.
“It’s still incredibly important to enable communities to come together, where they can build relationships face-to-face and get together for some good old-fashioned family fun.”
As many as 2600 of the 3000 residents currently living at the estate are expected to visit Club Jubilee One this weekend.
It’s also hoped year-round swimming lessons for kids and adults will help encourage buyers and tenants from countries where swimming “isn’t part of the cultural upbringing” to enjoy the water.
The 480ha estate will eventually have more than 7000 homes and more than 20,000 people living in it.
A 400sq m block at the Jubilee estate currently costs $300,000, and a house and land package typically $500,000-$550,000.
Townhouses cost about $400,000.