Royal Life Saving Australia will host the Second National Aquatic Infrastructure Symposium in 2026, building on the momentum of last year’s event and continuing the national conversation about the future of public aquatic facility infrastructure in Australia.
The Symposium will be hosted in Adelaide on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October 2026, co-hosted with the Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, South Australian Government.
- Day 1 – Wednesday 7 October: Facility tours of Adelaide's changing aquatic landscape, including the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre, Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre, and the renovation and retrofit works at the South Australia Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Participants will hear directly from asset owners, planners and designers. The day concludes with a networking function at Crowne Plaza Adelaide.
- Day 2 – Thursday 8 October: A full-day working forum at Crowne Plaza Adelaide, from 9:00am.
Program themes
Day 2 is structured as a working day, not a showcase, building a national plan to save community pools:
- The evidence base - what the data now tells us about demand, catchments, remote and regional pools, and international benchmarks
- Government, funding and the investment case
- Operator perspectives - whole-of-life cost, operating models, and the refurbish-versus-replace decision
- Community and users - user groups, community, access, inclusion and who we are actually building for
- Designers, engineers and technical builders
- Planners - thinking in networks, not single projects; modular versus mega; co-located versus standalone
- Cost escalation, new technologies, and sustainability
- A facilitated plenary workshop to build a national plan to save community pools
Who will be in the room
The Symposium brings together the people making and living with these decisions: local government asset owners and aquatic managers, state and Commonwealth agencies and funders, contract operators, architects, engineers, planners and designers, researchers, suppliers and technology providers, peak bodies, and community and user-group representatives from across every state and territory.
Our co-hosts and partners
Co-host: Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing, South Australian Government
Headline sponsors: Myrtha Pools and Lynxight
Program collaborating partners: Warren Green Consulting, IAKS ANZ, Parks and Leisure Australia, Warren and Mahoney, Beca, LARCAN, Otium Planning Group and National Sports Convention
Tour hosts: YMCA Aquatic and Event Services, BlueFit, and the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters
We are grateful for their support in making this a genuinely national conversation.
Please note - places are limited
Capacity is strictly limited, and the Day 1 facility tours are currently capped at 45 places, allocated in order of registration. If demand exceeds capacity we will look at options to expand the tours, so please register early.
Registration details
Registration | Registration Price | Details |
Two Day Registration | $440 | Includes registration for Wednesday 7 October 2026 (Facility Tour and Networking Function) and Thursday 8 October 2026 (Workshop) |
|
One Day Workshop Only | $385 | Includes registration for Thursday 8 October 2026 (Workshop) and Wednesday 7 October 2026 (Networking Function). |
All rates quoted include GST and are in Australian dollars.
Cancellation Policy
- All cancellation or substitution requests must be submitted in writing to: events@rlssa.org.au
- Cancellations received on or before Friday 25 September 2026 are eligible for a refund, less a $50 administration fee per registration.
- Cancellations received after this date are not eligible for refund.
Venue and Accommodation
Crowne Plaza Adelaide, 27 Frome Street, Adelaide
Please find the discounted accommodation link below for Crowne Plaza:
Acknowledgement of Country
Royal Life Saving Society – Australia acknowledges the Kaurna people as the Traditional Owners of the Adelaide Plains, where this symposium is held, and pays respect to Elders past and present. We acknowledge the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to water, and their right to be safe in it.
