SYDNEY, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A plan to build a watersports park in an outback Aussie town had been met with scathing criticism from farmers and local community members, who said the outlandish plan is "irresponsible" at a time of Australia's worst drought on record.
With excavation works on the man-made lake already underway in the Western Queensland state community of Barcaldine, the proposed multi-disciplinary sporting complex is set to feature everything from boats, water skiing, canoeing, kayaking and jet skiing.
"It is a long drought, but we are so fortunate here," Barcaldine Mayor Rob Chandler told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday.
Sitting on top of the Artesian basin, Chandler said, "we found a disused bore which has a licence for 400 megalitres, so we take that 400 megalitres and take that to fill this."
"It's a huge expanse, so it will take about five months to fill it."
According to former Mayoral candidate Dr. Sharon Broughton, however, locals are not in favor of the move.
"There has been a lot of talk amongst the graziers," she said. "To them, water is their absolute lifeblood."
"They are very concerned about this proposal."
Seeing the waterpark as a way to convince more young people to stay in town, Chandler argues the attraction is all about "liveability."
"It's about keeping your young people here, and keeping your professional people that want something to do after work," he said.
"Now we have something on the edge of town that will take people away from, take the kids away from their laptops and get them out and get them active."
Describing the mayor's justification as "nonsense," Suzanne Thompson, a traditional Indigenous landowner said there were no jobs. "I'm a bit confused about the rationale around -- let's put a water ski park in."
"It is probably the most irresponsible thing we could actually do right now in the current climate, especially out here."
"If we weren't in drought, I still don't think that it's the most appropriate, or wisest thing to do."
While the debate in the community continues, the Barcaldine Regional Council still needs to obtain an official water license from the state's Department of Natural Resources, before the lake can be filled.
Although the mayor is confident, it remains unclear whether the license will be granted.
