New Hills water park making a splash this summer

The eye-catching and colourful new Woodside Splash Park in the Adelaide Hills has proven a huge hit with local families and visitors this summer, much to the delight of the local council that led the delivery of the project.

The $750,000 construction of the family-friendly facility – which opened in November – was jointly funded by Adelaide Hills Council, the Adelaide Hills War Memorial Swimming Centre, and the federal government through its Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.

SA Power Networks was another key partner, working closely with the council to meet the construction deadline.

Adelaide Hills Council Project Officer Haydn Smith says the idea for the splash park grew after the council in 2023 conducted a feasibility study into the swimming centre, which assessed the facility’s life and condition and made recommendations on how the site could be improved for the community.

“What came out of that report was the swimming centre needed a point of difference – something that would help continue the ongoing sustainability of the site to make sure that it's catering for the local demographic and the target market,” Haydn says.

“Given the site has such beautiful natural grounds and lots of space for families and recreation, we identified that a water play facility – like a splash park – would be the perfect fit.”

Following a rigorous tender process, the council engaged Perth-based Water Features by Design to begin creating the many water features that would bring the splash park to life – drawing inspiration from the region’s landscapes, grapevines and native flora.

Haydn says the company leaned heavily on local trades, bringing in Hills-based plumbers, concreters, builders and suppliers to ensure they met the deadline for completion.

“Just about everything was local,” Haydn says. “All the stone was Adelaide Hills sandstone and the concrete came out of Littlehampton.

“We had to design and build this facility in 12 months, so the advantage of using a company that made their own equipment in Australia really reduced the lead time.”

The result is stunning and the new play area includes a dumper bucket, water cannons, cascading mushrooms, arch sprays, and a rock feature with a hand pump that lets children direct water through a series of weirs.

Many of the features have a direct link to the Adelaide Hills region.

“The flower shower is a lemon-scented sun orchid, which is a beautiful flower that’s found in the Mount Lofty Ranges,” Haydn says.

“And the big dumper bucket has a grapevine wrapped around it with leaves and grapes, which is a nod to the Adelaide Hills wine region.”

Given the swimming centre only opens during days above 25 degrees Celsius, the cooler weather in November meant locals had to patiently wait to use the splash park for the first time following its official opening.

But when the first warm day arrived, the feedback from families was instant.

“Everyone loved it,” Haydn says. “As soon as the pool opened, kids were running the water at the splash park pretty much all day. It’s really rewarding to know people are it enjoying it so much.”

A week after the splash park’s completion, Adelaide Hills Council also opened its newest section of the Amy Gillett Bikeway, extending the route from Mount Torrens to Birdwood.

Made possible through federal and state government funding of $2.6 million each, and an Adelaide Hills Council contribution of $500,000, the extension strengthens the region’s growing network of safe, scenic paths and opens the door to future connections further north.

Delivering two major projects at once was no small task for the council’s five-person capital works team – but for Haydn, the payoff has been clear.

“It was certainly a juggle,” he says. “They were both big projects for us, but the outcome has been well and truly worth it.”

This article was originally featured in the LOCAL impact Magazine summer edition.