The Katherine Hot Springs remains behind high fences despite repeated promises from Katherine Town Council last year the project would be completed by 2019.
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Although the actual hot springs themselves are locked down with wet season closures, the long-delayed works on the bank have come in for heavy criticism from residents.
In a statement from the council this week, a spokeswoman said stage one (the lower section) is complete, but fences would remain in place blocking the tourist attraction until stage two is complete.
"Katherine Town Council [is] happy to announce the completion and issuing of occupancy certification on the Stage 1 remediation construction works," the spokeswoman said.
"This has been a long overdue project for Katherine Town Council and we are pleased that its completion has been reached. We are currently undertaking the landscaping and concrete paths for the top section. This will be closely followed by final finishes such as the installation of bollards as well as signage and access gates.
"Whilst these works are not anticipated to take long, Katherine Town Council plans to keep the construction fencing in place until such time as the new lawns and plants are established.
"We look forward to this project completion with the final element being the installation of the accessible playgroup in April 2020, just in time for the 2020 Dry Season."
On a multitude of occasions, the council has stated the lengthy and costly rejuvenation would be finished by December 2019.
"We are confident the works will be completed in December 2019," a council spokeswoman told the Katherine Times in October of last year.
And in a media release issued in May 2019, council stated: "as previously detailed in a statement from Katherine Town Council Stage 1 is scheduled to commence in July 2019, followed closely by Stage 2 in mid- October 2019, with the project finishing the end of 2019."
The council even reallocated $1.5 million from the CBD Revitalisation project to ensure the popular tourism spot's upgrade was finished by the end of the year.
This was a $2 million project first announced in April 2016. Initially to be completed by the end of that year, it has been blocked by high fencing since.
Work at the hot springs stood at a standstill for about two years after it was found the original work had begun to erode and would have to be ripped up and re-done.
Construction workers were back on site in July 2019 working hurriedly to have the project finished before the end-of-year wet season.
Late last year in October, Katherine's Mayor Fay Miller dismissed any fears the promised turtle playground would not go ahead.
Katherine Town Council has released few details on the playground since the hot springs rejuvenation first came about, other than it will be a "turtle themed all access playground" expected to be installed by April 2020.
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