By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Ranges Council has been recognised by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia for the construction and design of Warburton Water World, receiving the Engineering Excellence Award.
The park opened in September 2020, following years of community engagement about the former Warburton Pool site, which closed over the summer of 2009-10.
Mayor of Yarra Ranges Council Jim Child said the award recognises the strong journey the project has been.
“It’s been a long journey since the pool was closed, which was very precious to the community. It had to be closed because the infrastructure was failing it,” he said.
“It was a large 50m metre pool installed after the success Australia had in the pools in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, but it was past its use-by date and had serious maintenance issues.”
As well as being a water park, the facility has exercise equipment, a playground, barbecues and access to the Yarra River to help it be a year-round attraction despite Warburton’s cold weather.
Mayor Child said community consultation was an important part of the project and helped retain the history of the old pool.
“The old pool formed original starting blocks and as the opening plaque of the pool has been retained, so people with a history of the place can go back and reminisce about the site,” he said.
“The part that I really liked about the project was how we engage with the end-users, the kids. Students at Millwarra and Warburton primary schools contributed to the design of the place and named it.”
The project was funded by a number of Government and local contributors, with the Federal Government providing $1.7 million for the project through the Regional Growth Fund, the Warburton Advancement League putting forward $20,000 for a train engine with junior slide and the Warburton Sports Centre Committee donating $120,000 towards the playspace equipment. Council contributed the remaining $2.8 million towards the project.
“Without those contributions from the local bodies in the federal government, we wouldn’t have been able to put that facility on the ground,” Mayor Child said.
“We are getting more people to come to this facility at all times of the year and the people we get travelling a long distance to come and visit the site even surprised us. It took a long time, but the outcome has been worth the wait.”
