COVID-19 construction delays push back opening of new Bunbury water splash park from Christmas to March

Bunbury’s highly anticipated new water play park will not be opening its doors before Christmas, following confirmation COVID-related delays had hindered the construction process. Touted as Bunbury’s next big tourism drawcard for families, the $1.7 million water playground will offer free fun for community members of all ages, with 40 shipwreck-themed features including a tipping bucket and spray posts. Construction on the project, which has been jointly funded by the City of Bunbury ($700,000) and Discovery Holiday Parks ($1m), began in April and Discovery Parks in November confirmed it was on track to open before Christmas. However, the company’s chief operations officer, Matt Lang, this week said factors beyond the company’s control meant the splash park would not be opening before the holidays as hoped and instead Discovery was working towards a March launch. Mr Lang said they had encountered delays over past months that had hampered construction. Work on the splash park was also halted in October to allow for a loved-up pair of pied oystercatchers that built their nest at the construction site to safely hatch their chicks. “We know the local community and tourists have really been looking forward to the splash park opening,” Mr Lang said. “From freight issues with components, to difficulty securing tradespeople, we are not alone in experiencing construction delays due to COVID. “While the postponed opening is disappointing, we’re really looking forward to welcoming the community to the splash park from March.” COVID-19 supply chain pressures and labour shortages have delayed construction projects across the State, prompting the State Government to hold a ‘skills summit’ in July to address the skilled worker deficit. The development comes as part of Discovery Parks’ $8.5m expansion of its Bunbury Foreshore caravan park, which will see 26 new family tourist cabins and more than 70 new holiday sites at the Koombana Bay location.