One year late for Port Douglas splash park

The Port Douglas Splash Park is coming they say. But so is Christmas. The Port Douglas Splash Park has become a tale as enduring as the holiday season itself.

Despite its seemingly straightforward nature, delays have plagued its progress. Even before Jasper's disruptive visit in December, the project faced setback after setback. Initially promised for completion by mid-2024 by the former council, it became clear that this timeline was merely wishful thinking.

In late 2021 the late Howard Salkow, writing for Newsport, reported on the Council's plans for a free-entry water splash park with a paid-access safe water swimming area. However, those plans failed to materialize. Despite ample funding from government grants, the Splash Park seemed to linger on the back burner of priorities.

Nevertheless, the Douglas Shire Council sought input from ratepayers regarding its placement, ultimately selecting Jalunbu Park near the Life Saving Club as the ideal location. Situated on Council reserve land, where the annual Pooch Party is held as part of Carnivale, this park promises to be a community gem if ever completed.

No explanation

The Douglas Shire Council's silence on the prolonged delay of the Splash Park project has left many scratching their heads. In March of this year, Newsport Editor Michael Warren highlighted the lack of clarity surrounding the Council's responses, casting doubt on whether ratepayers and residents would see the long-debated Splash Park materialize before the end of 2024.

Despite promises, the DSC has yet to provide a concrete explanation for the project's stall. However, it did confirm its intention to imminently release a tender for the design of a zero-depth Splash Park in Port Douglas, signalling a potential step forward in bringing this eagerly anticipated amenity to fruition. 

The very latest

Wouldn’t you think if the Council knew when designs for the Splash Park would be available, when a tender would be put out, when construction would commence AND when the project would be completed it would shout it from the rooftops. But no! this a classic case of burying the headline.

They tucked all that away in a non-descript little in house story on their website. Speculation abounds as to why the council would choose such a discreet approach. Could it be an attempt to hide the embarrassing fact that the Splash Park will be a year behind schedule, despite earlier promises of completion by mid-year?

According to this recent low key announcement on their website, a detailed design for the Splash Park is slated to be available in July of this year, with a tender for construction expected in October.

Construction itself is set to kick off in November, with the Splash Park projected to be completed by June 2025 - precisely one year behind schedule. It remains to be seen whether the Council can deliver this vital piece of infrastructure for Port Douglas within the newly established timeframe.