The beaches of Australia get some competition with this new wave pool

Despite the wealth of sandy beaches available to the folks who live in Sydney, Australia, the surf-crazed populace simply can’t be satisfied by all the natural opportunities for the nation’s favorite sport. As such, the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment has approved yet another open surf park in Sydney Olympic Park. The $24 million project marks the third such wave pool to come about down under, and the one-year construction timeline is slated to begin in the second half of 2018.

The new wave pool will depend upon technology from Wavegarden, which is behind several similar facilities around the world. But the team constructing and operating the pool will be Sydney-based URBN Surf, which has long petitioned to bring wave pools to the Australian continent in order to satisfy demand for the water sport. Although this will be the third wave pool in the country, it will be the first in Sydney — the other two are located in Perth and Melbourne, and are both currently under construction.

The lagoon itself will have space enough for 80 surfers per hour, and will be capable of generating rather impressive (and dependable) waves of up to 5.6 feet. Moreover, the area surrounding the wave pool will be turned into an entire recreational community, complete with a retail store, a café, an indoor restaurant and alfresco bar, changing rooms, a rental area (so beginners can learn, too), and first aid and lifeguard rooms. Furthermore, the wave pool will be situated next to a large surf academy with both teaching and training facilities.

The project will focus not only on fun, but also on sustainability, and encourages non-vehicular forms of transportation to and from the wave pool. Moreover, the park will feature sustainable building materials, solar panels, on-site rainwater collection and re-use, and a green roof.