Tawarri Hot Springs is a state-of-the-art, geothermally powered bathing and wellness complex proposed for the site of the historic, and sometimes “notorious”, Dalkeith Hot Pool, which existed on the Esplanade, Dalkeith from the early 1900s until its decommissioning in 1957.
After years of research into geothermal aquifers and studies of health spas at home and abroad, Tawarri Hot Springs has been carefully designed to provide Perth with a world-class geothermal bathing and wellness experience which will be the first of its kind in Australia.
Tawarri Hot Springs will comprise of:
- A bathing and wellness complex which will offer more than twenty different thermal bathing experiences as well as saunas, hammams, a Vichy shower and cold plunge pools. There will also be a photo gallery that celebrates the history of the historic Dalkeith Hot Pool and the Swan River;
- A day spa which will offer a variety of wellness treatments as well as yoga and Pilates classes;
- A café that’s specifically designed to cater for parents and children visiting the neighbouring Jo Wheatley All Abilities Play Space as well as dog walkers, cyclists and other all users of the Swan River foreshore.
Tawarri Hot Springs will be open and available to all members of the public: it is not a private club! The bathing and wellness complex will be open seven days a week from early morning until late in the evening and the café will be open from 6.30am until 5pm.
Who are we?
Tawarri Hot Springs is the result of the collaborative efforts of Kathryn Gunn and Barry Jones, both of whom are long-term Dalkeith residents.
They are passionate about creating peaceful and sustainable community amenity, and employment opportunities, for the suburb they are proud to call home.
Find out more about Tawarri Hot Springs
Tawarri Hot Springs is planned to be constructed on the site of the former Tawarri Reception Centre which is located towards the western end of the Dalkeith foreshore reserve at 120 Esplanade.
The pools in Tawarri Hot Springs will be filled with geothermally heated water extracted from the Yarragadee Aquifer at a depth of almost one kilometre. The heating system requires the construction of two bores — one to extract the water and one to re-inject it back into the aquifer.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has granted Tawarri Hot Springs the right to construct both bores and in due course, the project will receive a water allocation in line with utilisation projections.
Once all necessary approvals have been obtained, the construction of Tawarri Hot Springs is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2023.
Tawarri Hot Springs has undergone a rigorous examination process conducted by the State Design Review Panel to ensure that its built form pays due respect to both the Swan River and the parkland which surrounds it.
Tawarri Hot Springs aims to achieve the equivalent performance of a 6 Green Star rating, which represents a World’s Best Practice Benchmark. Our focus is to reduce our carbon footprint and to provide a high level of air and light quality thereby creating a healthy environment for both our patrons and our staff.
Each sustainability initiative will be monitored in a Sustainability Management Plan (SMP) which will be followed throughout the design, construction and operational stages of the project.
Key elements of our SMP include:
- Indoor environmental quality: Mixed mode ventilation will ensure that large quantities of clean fresh air are continually flowing through the building;
- Energy: The geothermal heating of the pools is carbon neutral. Geothermal heat exchange can also be used to provide hot water for showers and kitchen and geothermal air conditioning. LED lighting will be used throughout and controlled by occupancy and daylight sensing. We are also investigating the use of Photo Voltaic panels as an additional power source;
- Water: Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) strategies have been incorporated into our landscaping design and there is also an opportunity to recycle rainwater and greywater;
- Materials: Only sustainable materials will be used in the construction of Tawarri Hot Springs;
- Innovation: Our water and energy cycle will follow a World’s best practice strategy to reduce both consumption and our carbon footprint and implement sustainable technologies.
Our landscape design for the public land which surrounds Tawarri Hot Springs aims to create a foreshore precinct which can be enjoyed by all users of the Dalkeith foreshore. It includes improving existing pedestrian and bicycle pathways as well as a public plaza area between the Jo Wheatley All Abilities Play Space and the café.
In 2016 the City of Nedlands called for expressions of interest to redevelop the site of the former Tawarri Reception Centre and in 2018 Tawarri Hot Springs Pty Ltd was selected as the City’s preferred proponent to redevelop the site.
Our development application is currently being advertised by the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.
For more information visit consultation.dplh.wa.gov.au. Submissions close 22 March 2021.