Next Tuesday night, Campbelltown Council will decide if it will charge an entry fee to the controversial Billabong Parklands.
The project has been hit with delays and budget blowouts, but council hopes the people of Campbelltown can start enjoying its facilities in February or March next year.
However, it has now been presented with a report from its Leisure Services department, which contains four options on entry fees to the Billabong for the first 18 months of its operation, followed by a review.
The first option is for free entry for that period.
Option two proposes charging adults $7.50, children $5, a family of four $20.70 and concession card holders $5.
Under option three, the most expensive presented to council, adults will pay $10, children $7, family $30 and concession $7.
Option four proposes an entry $3.75 for adults, $2.50 for children, $10.35 for families and $2.50 concession.
The report to councils says the Billabong is forecast to cost between $2 million and $3 million a year to operate.
It will be open every day of the year except Christmas Day and Good Friday, however only during the summer months for swimming.
According to the report, the Billabong Parklands will have a total capacity of 2,000 people, and a total water space capacity of 620 people at any one time.
Up to 250,000 people are forecast to go through the gates in the first 12 months, 300,000 the second year and 350,000 the third year of operation.
No matter which entry fee option is adopted on Tuesday night, an online booking system will be available and it will be necessary to pre-purchase entry tickets to assist in managing the regulated capacity limitations.
However, tickets will also be available at reception onsite.
The range of recreational experiences on offer will include zero depth water play features and streams, two swimming lagoons, walking paths and landscaped Parklands.
Facilities will include a large amenity block located at the southern end of the venue and 60 large lockers and 60 small lockers available for hire.
Drinking water stations will be located throughout the Parklands, there will be an abundance of trees and three large overwater shade sails located across the splash park and streams areas
Also, nine four by four metre shade huts which can be pre-booked for a set period of time.
Retail offering including general items such as swimming accessories and hats.
Onsite food and beverages will be available via food trucks, however visitors to the Parklands will be allowed to bring their own food.
I think the council would be amiss to start charging for the use of the billabong after all the adverse publicity over the years. Perhaps have a 2 year trial and see how the community respond to using it. Maybe consider holding ticketed events a few times a year. Just my opinion. Thank you as always for keeping us abreast of local events.
So the last two years it’s been advertised it was a “free entry billabong for all to enjoy “ and now we are implementing tickets and prices for something that should have been made available free for the public anyways we have a pool we have to pay to get into our closest beach 40min drive away there is no where free to cool off in Campbelltown I have lived here all my life and everytime something good comes along you take it away because of things like this , I believe if your going to make us pay for it then it should be clean food drinks toilets lockers shade somewhere to park your car all better be implemented into the billabong otherwise what’s the point?? you may aswell pay to get into the pools or pay for fuel to go to the beach
Charging a fee after boasting it will be free for locals is a slap in the face. No one actually wanted this to start with. Adding an extra swimming pool and splash park would have been great. What they have created is a money pit with zero parking. Total waste of our rate payers money.
I think the concern should be the safety of families with their children and with what appears to a difficult area to park in
Agree, there is low parking in the area and one bottle neck entry point. Coupled with families walking and hoons driving. This is a recipe for chaos, regardless of having to pay a fee to get in. Impact on locals will be phenomenal.
Council needs to build a pedestrian bridge from the arts centre/Catholic park area. People can then walk from the mall and other locations to get there. Not to mention having a pedestrian bridge allows people to access mall food and city centre. The underpass is way dodgy, dark and feral.