Overview
- The ACT government announced on Tuesday that it now expects Big Splash will not reopen by 1 November after a recent, unsuccessful sales process.
- Minster Chris Steel said the commissioned options analysis will produce realistic costings and models for reopening the 50‑metre pool, slides, amenities and other aquatic facilities to guide potential buyers, the leaseholder, the government and the community.
- The government has ruled out rezoning the site for housing and cited a CISAC clause that bars the Territory from building or operating new pools within five kilometres, a provision that campaigners say needs clarification for its implications on public takeover or redevelopment.
- Community group Save Big Splash welcomed the formal study and the promise of community input, while ACT Greens leader Jo Clay and some opposition figures criticised the move as a delaying tactic and renewed calls for terminating the Crown lease if breaches continue.
- With more than 2,100 signatures on a petition pressing for public ownership, the study will be watched for whether it prompts a viable buyer, stronger enforcement of the lease or a shift toward government intervention before the next summer season.