Water park work to make jobs splash

By Kristy Sexton-McGrath

Posted October 29, 2009 09:39:00

The developer of a $35 million water park in Cairns, in far north Queensland, says about 300 construction jobs will be created when building starts in April next year.

The Cairns Regional Council yesterday approved the water park, to be built at Smithfield.

Mayor Val Shier and councillors Julia Leu and Kirsten Lesina voted against the development.

The water park's developer, Paul Freebody, says another 80 jobs will be created when the park opens.

"This is the first step of a very steep hill of a recovery," he said.

"Not only in our construction industry but also in our tourism industry and we needed some good news and we got that."

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