Toowoomba Regional Council responds to splash park requests

The mayor of Australia’s largest inland city without a splash park has hosed down the idea of building one, saying it would cost ratepayers too much. Here’s how neighbouring regional councils got their splash parks.

Wetside water park in Hervey Bay. Photo: Karleila Thomsen / Fraser Coast Chronicle

The mayor of Australia’s second largest regional city has hosed down the idea of a splash park, saying it will cost ratepayers too much, despite neighbouring councild’ waterplay parks drawing massive community returns, as well as national and international acclaim.

Decades of complaints over the lack of Toowoomba’s waterplay infrastructure have left residents fatigued and worn out in the midst of summer heat, and Toowoomba Regional Council mayor Geoff McDonald has once again put the issue in the too-expensive basket.

Instead of looking for opportunities to promote Toowoomba region’s liveability at the start of the year, Mr McDonald has focused on more pragmatic priorities - getting a new chief executive, finding funds for Cressbrook dam safety upgrades, putting a bid in for the 2032 Olympics, and managing a long-delayed planning scheme.

Luke and sister Katelyn Trost from Brassall enjoy the water park of Bob Gamble Park, as a part of Ipswich River Heart Parklands. Photo Steve Pohlner

Despite their cost to ratepayers, councils across Queensland have found ways to fund multi-million dollar splash parks with joint state government funding, drawing massive social returns increasing their region’s liveability, tourism and regional appeal.

In 2019, the Western Downs Regional Council opened the $5.9m Chinchilla Botanical Parklands, a joint-funded project with the Queensland Government, which includes a zero-depth splash park.

Along with being enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, the parklands have brought international acclaim to Chinchilla, winning recognition in the UK’s Green Flag park awards.

Ipswich City Council to Toowoomba’s east also invested in two splash parks, Tulmer Place zero-depth as part of the $250m stage Ipswich CBD revitalisation, and Bob Gamble Park in the $4.5m River Heartlands Parklands, both jointly-funded with the state government.

The council also manages waterplay infrastructure which was built by developer contributions in new suburbs such as Ripley and Springfield.

The SplashSide Water Play and All-Abilities Playground was a joint initiative of the Fraser Coast Regional Council and the Queensland Government.

To the north, Fraser Coast Regional Council has two waterplay areas, Hervey Bay’s $12m lifeguard manned WetSide and Maryborough’s $3m zero-depth SplashSide.

Built in 2009, WetSide has had several multi-million-dollar upgrades adding waterslides and a cutting-edge Aqua Ninja facility.

The water park drew more than 11,000 people across the Christmas week, a FCRC spokesman said.

It has also been voted multiple times as Australia’s best waterpark by TripAdvisor patrons.

Toowoomba was once a water park hot spot. Left, the Bee Gees played in November 1966 at Helidon Spa and summertime was spent slipping down the rocket water slide at Willow Springs Adventure Park in the 70s-90s.

A nostalgic private venture in Toowoomba, Willow Springs had its moment as a much-loved water slide and paddleboat adventure experience of the generations growing up in the Darling Downs from the 70s-90s.

But inspirations of water attractions from the past seemed set to stay in the past, with it increasibgly looking as though ratepayers will foot the bill of the $266m Cressbrook dam upgrades, which occupies more than half ($110m) of council’s unusually large $230m capital works budget.

Toowoomba Regional Council’s budget in June 2024 saw rates across the region rise the highest in more than a decade with expected delays to liveability projects.

Toowoomba Regional Council mayor Geoff McDonald has said it would just be an increased cost on the ratepayer for a splash park, but would welcome proposals for water parks from private developers. Picture: Christine Schindler

The four-point plan to help pay for Cressbook, includes rate rises, debt, project delays and drawing on cash reserves.

Mr McDonald said that council-owned public swimming pools were still open for residents and that private water park developers were welcome to bring ideas to council.

In the past, Toowoomba has boasted a number of iconic water features, from Willow Springs Adventure Park to Helidon Spa, drawing national and international acclaim in their heydays.

Helidon Spa had its moment in the 1960s when it was Australia’s largest swimming pool, hosting music events which even drew the Bee Gees and John Farnham.