The future of the City of Gosnells’ long-awaited SPLASH project is now uncertain, after council confirmed it is reconsidering the $132 million proposal due to a lack of funding support from both the State and Federal Governments.
The Sutherlands Park Leisure, Aquatic and Sports Hub, known as SPLASH, was set to deliver a state-of-the-art facility for the City’s growing population.
The concept includes an outdoor 50 metre pool, indoor 25 metre pool, indoor multi-sport courts, a gym, wellness hall, café and more. The project was designed to meet the needs of a diverse and fast-growing community that, according to the city, remains statistically at higher risk of drowning.
The city committed $66 million towards the project and launched a major advocacy campaign seeking $16 million from the State and $50 million from the Federal Government. However, to date, only $2 million has been pledged by the State Government and no funds have been committed by the Federal Government.
Mayor Terresa Lynes said the city is now carefully considering its next steps.
“We are committed to meeting the needs of our growing population by delivering vital life-changing and life-saving facilities, while also minimising the financial impact on ratepayers,” she said.
“The city is reconsidering the SPLASH proposal due to disappointing or non-existent support for the project from both the State and Federal Governments, despite the project’s significance for the community.”
Southern River MLA Terry Healy responded, saying he will continue to work with the city to deliver the indoor pool as the first stage of SPLASH.
“I have been meeting with the council and the City’s CEO about the indoor pool for the past 10 years, since I became a Gosnells Councillor,” he said.
“The WA Government has contributed $2 million to the indoor pool, while the Federal Government has contributed more than $10 million from the Thriving Suburbs grant to Sutherlands Park, including a permanent toilet at the Youth Plaza.”
Mr Healy said council budget documents confirmed that $35 million had been allocated for the indoor pool and encouraged progress in 2025, including a tender for a detailed design. He also thanked the community for signing the SPLASH petition and said he intends to advocate for more funding for future stages, including an outdoor pool and basketball courts.
However, Mayor Lynes said council has not formally agreed to a staged approach and clarified that $35 million has not been allocated to the indoor pool project.
“Currently, the reserve for SPLASH has approximately $11 million, so we do noy have $35 million allocated to SPLASH,” she said.
“We expect to add around $10 million to that reserve through sales of the Southern River Business Park later in the year, but either way we do not have $35 million allocated to SPLASH.”
Mayor Lynes also said SPLASH was never just about a single stage and called it a critical piece of infrastructure for a rapidly growing population of more than 140,000 people.
Mr Healy also referred to the indoor pool as the “Mayor’s Indoor Pool” in public statements and credited Labor’s election win with delivering the $2 million.
However, the city has confirmed that this contribution was a 2025 election commitment and that no funds have been received to date.
“Labelling this facility the ‘Mayor’s Indoor Pool’ misrepresents the community-driven nature of the project and the pressing need it aims to address,” she said.
The SPLASH concept was developed following the adoption of the City’s Sports Plan in 2020 and the Sutherlands Park Master Plan in 2022.
While Mr Healy previously served as a city councillor from 2015 to 2017, the city said planning for SPLASH began after the Sports Plan was introduced in 2020.
Mayor Lynes said the city had provided multiple opportunities for local representatives, including Mr Healy, to support the project.
The city said it has already set aside nearly $12 million in reserves for SPLASH and plans to direct more than $10 million in proceeds from land sales to help fund its share of the cost. It also received over 4,000 letters of community support during its campaign.
Mr Healy said the project had bipartisan support at council level, but criticised the Liberal Party for not matching Labor’s election pledge.
“Despite the pool being endorsed by Gosnells Councillors who are Liberal Party members, the Liberals promised $0 for the project,” he said.
