
A suspicious fire at the vacant Big Splash water park in Macquarie has reignited calls for urgent action on the site’s future, as its November 1 reopening deadline looms.
Firefighters extinguished a small fire in the main building on Saturday afternoon, with police saying there was minimal damage and the incident was being treated as suspicious.
Save Big Splash spokesperson Amelia Tattam said the fire, along with reports the site’s recently installed security fence had been breached, added urgency to questions about its future.
“This incident shows why Big Splash cannot be left vacant and deteriorating while uncertainty about its future continues,” she said.
The site remains for sale almost seven weeks after expressions of interest closed on July 22, with no public update on the outcome.
In April, Access Canberra decided against terminating the Crown lease after finding the owners had taken substantive steps to clean up the site and repair pool infrastructure. Regular inspections were to continue.
The lease requires the 50-metre pool and associated food amenities to reopen by November 1.
Save Big Splash is calling on the government to confirm whether the fire has affected reopening plans, provide an update on the sale and recent inspections, and explain what action it will take if the deadline is missed.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police via the Crime Stoppers ACT website.
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