Splash Planet: $2.4 million to fix water park, entry price to rise

Splash Planet re-opened after being closed for almost 600 days last November.

One of Hawke’s Bay’s biggest tourist attractions will receive more than $2 million in repairs to get it ready for the next summer season.

Hastings District Council (HDC) owns and operates Splash Planet and met on Thursday afternoon to decide whether to borrow the money needed ($1,428,400) for urgent maintenance and replacement work at the water park.

That is on top of a budgeted fund of nearly $700,000 which is already available for maintenance at the park.

After the meeting, HDC said a proportion of the required $2.4m would come from existing operational and capital budgets set aside for the facility, and the rest from loan funding to avoid putting the costs on ratepayers.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said by getting started with these improvements now, “we have the best chance of re-opening in the middle of November”.

However, the ticket price of entry will increase between $4 and $6, the mayor said.

An adult Super Pass currently costs $32 for visitors aged over 14.

Hazlehurst said: “We have tried to keep ticket price rises to a minimum in recent years, but to deliver this improved offering for users and reflect the true cost of operating Splash Planet, we will be increasing the per-person price by between $4 and $6, which will help ensure we can re-open this summer.”

The popular water park - which boasts waterslides, a lazy river, multiple pools and other activities - was closed for almost 600 days during Covid and re-opened in November last year for the summer season.

The attraction received criticism from some water park users during the latest summer season over the poor state of some facilities.

Council papers issued before the Thursday meeting stated that if urgent work was not carried out, the park would not be ready to open again in November for the upcoming 2023/24 summer season.

“During the 2022/23 Splash Planet season, through routine inspections and assessments, officers identified a number of areas and assets in Splash Planet that required operational changes, maintenance, repairs and renewal in order to open for the 2023/24 season,” council papers read.

“Officers currently have six months to complete the extensive works and source specialist equipment (i.e. electric go-karts from Germany).”

Council papers stated if work was not done and special equipment was not sourced within the next six months, it “could result in timelines for opening not being able to be met, especially in the post-cyclone environment”.

Following the Thursday meeting, when the funding was approved, HDC said in a statement that the go-karts will be replaced with electric options, electric outboard motors will be installed in the bumper boats and the kitchen/cafe facility and equipment would be upgraded.

Staffing issues resulted in the water park closing slightly early on February 6 this year. It is usually open until March.

Falling into decline, Fantasyland was rebranded as Splash Planet and opened in 1998 after it was converted to its present theme. Splash Planet came to HDC from trust governance in 2004, and since that time has been managed, funded and governed by the council.