Darwin Council will seek money from the private sector to develop the Lameroo baths after failing to get $150 million in Federal Government funding, Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has said.

In August 2020 the lord mayor said he had asked for $150 million from the Federal Government to develop Lameroo baths as part of a COVID-19 stimulus program, saying the project could have started “within months” if the funding was given.

Mr Vatskalis said the funding request was knocked back, and instead they would go to the private sector to finance the development but he did not specify how much he now believed the development would cost.

“We intend going to the private sector before making any approach for government support from either the Territory or commonwealth for the Lameroo baths proposal,” he said.

In 2020 Mr Vatskalis told Mix 104.9 the plan was a way to “make Darwin completely different… better than the Gold Coast.”

He said the Lameroo baths proposal was submitted in response to the Prime Minister’s appeal for “some really big iconic projects.”

“The proposal was also submitted through the Territory economic reconstruction commission, and to the Deputy Prime Minister in response to his call for ‘shovel ready projects’,” he said.

Mr Vatskalis said the $150 million Federal Government money would have been spent developing a rock wall and baths that would attract people to invest in the area, including creating restaurants and retail spaces.

He said the council did not make a pre-Budget approach to the Federal Government about the Lameroo baths this year, instead deciding to approach the private sector.