South Australia will soon have a cable watersports park, one of a kind in the state. Fyfe worked closely with the much anticipated Bridge Watersport Park and provided extensive planning, engineering, survey and environmental services to ensure that the park received Council approval.
South Australia will soon have a cable watersports park, one of a kind in the state. Fyfe worked closely with the much anticipated Bridge Watersport Park and provided extensive planning, engineering, survey and environmental services to ensure that the park received Council approval.
Although Bridge Watersports is owned by a private entity and is being built on private land, its proximity to the Murray River and Murray Bridge, and its location on a flood plain meant that numerous council and State Government approvals were needed before the park’s development could begin.
Fyfe’s planning department, with assistance from the engineering, survey and environmental teams worked closely with the Bridge Watersport Park over the past two years sourcing and providing the technical input needed to eventually secure planning consent for the project.
The planning and approval process
With a complex planning project such as this, Fyfe ensured a smooth consultation process, and preparation and lodgement of relevant documentation. The first application was lodged with the council, who then requested additional information. This was provided and our client’s application was then referred to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the SA Heritage Council, and the Murray River Board.
After receiving the requested responses from these agencies, the council passed these to Fyfe for review. We provided a formal response and ensured all of our client’s bases were covered regarding the concerns of the agencies involved.
During this process, the application was made public, and representations were received from the local community. Fyfe’s planning department formally responded to these while simultaneously handling the council response.
Throughout the process, Fyfe’s planning department incorporated stakeholder input and made changes to Bridge Watersport plans based on Council feedback, paving the way for final approval.
The end result was a final agreement between the council, the representors and Fyfe — Bridge Watersport Park received its approval.
Next steps
With development plans approved, Bridge Watersport can move ahead to the building approval process. The engineering drawings, environmental and geospatial data, and stormwater management plans provided by Fyfe will be instrumental in this next stage of construction, earmarked for 2022.
Bridge Watersport Park will provide cable water skiing and wakeboarding in one lake and an inflatable aqua fun park in the other lake. Providing access to watersports that otherwise require a boat is sure to be a big hit with locals and visitors alike and will no doubt help increase tourism to the area.
