Repairs under way after suspected vandalism at Bathurst Aqua Park

The aqua park only returned for its third season at Chifley Dam at the end of November, with its opening date delayed after the equipment was damaged in the floods.

Further damage, which is theorised to have been caused by a knife, is yet another blow for the small business.

Owner Michael Hickey said the damage is suspected to have occurred some time between 6pm and midnight on Sunday.

He believes it was the act of vandals, but can't understand why anyone would target the aqua park.

He owns other aqua parks and has never seen an incident like this.

"I just don't know why anyone would do it, to be honest with you. It's got me beat," he said.

"We've had no run-ins, we've had no bad [incidents], we've had nothing. I don't know why someone would do it."

Since discovering the damage, Mr Hickey and the staff at the aqua park have worked quickly to try to repair the damaged slides.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the bigger of the two slides had been patched and the team was preparing to patch the other one.

All they can do is hope that the repairs hold.

If not, the slides will have to be retired, and it won't be possible to replace them before the season ends.

"We'll try to fix it first with kits. We've just got to hope they'll do the job," Mr Hickey said.

"We couldn't order new bits and get them in there, not for summer. We've just got to make sure we can repair it."

The repairs will only cost a couple of hundred dollars, but if replacements are needed, the bill could be anywhere between $8000 and $12,000.

The loss of the slides shouldn't affect the number of people able to use the park, as the maximum capacity is much higher than the demand, but it is still a disappointing situation for Mr Hickey.

"The season's been going good, the water is really good, it's just this is something we really didn't need to happen right now," he said.

"Coming into Christmas, your busiest time, it's just another stress you don't need."

Mr Hickey said he intends to report the incident to the police, in the hopes that anyone who might be responsible can be held accountable for their actions.

He said Bathurst Regional Council was already reviewing closed-circuit television footage from the area, and he has urged anyone with any information about how the damage occurred to come forward.

The aqua park will continue to open seven days a week, including all public holidays, and people are encouraged to come out and enjoy the facility.

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