Published: 11 December 2025

Record Participation Strengthens 2025 Aquatic Operational Management Benchmarking; Deadline to Complete Extended

Royal Life Saving Australia and the CERM Performance Indicators (CERM PI®) research team at the University of South Australia are (re)inviting aquatic and leisure facilities across the country to take part in the 2025 Operational Management (OM) Benchmarking Survey — with a record number of facilities already registered.

There's been an overwhelming response to the survey this year, which significantly strengthens the quality, validity and reliability of the benchmarking data, providing a more representative national picture of operational performance. Increasing participation further will continue to improve the depth and precision of insights available to the sector.

The national partnership between Royal Life Saving Australia and CERM PI® brings together the research capability, analytical expertise and long-standing industry trust of both organisations. Together, they are working to strengthen benchmarking and insight generation across Australia’s aquatic and leisure sector — improving safety, performance, wellbeing outcomes and public value through evidence-based insights.

For more than three decades, the CERM PI® OM Survey has delivered independent benchmarking across key performance areas including visitation, financial sustainability, service delivery and customer experience. New swimming and water safety indicators introduced in 2025 further enhance the survey’s ability to monitor and support industry priorities such as learn-to-swim participation and facility-level contributions to community water safety.

RJ Houston, General Manager – Capability & Industry at Royal Life Saving Australia, emphasised the importance of participation in the CERM benchmarking process:
“The team at CERM PI have long provided a comprehensive set of indicators widely used by facility owners, operators, planners and governments. They have also been very open to feedback and have included a number of new indicators this year that can assist Royal Life Saving in its advocacy for policies and programs that safeguard community pool infrastructure and close swimming, water safety and aquatic recreation participation gaps."

To support participation, Royal Life Saving Australia is again offering up to 10 full scholarships for eligible regional or low-resource facilities. These scholarships aim to remove financial barriers and ensure smaller or remote communities can benefit from nationally consistent benchmarking. However, these are beginning to be claimed, so reach out as soon as you can.

Scholarship Criteria

• Located more than 150 km from a capital city (with priority to facilities more than 200km away)
• Fewer than 50,000 annual visits
• Priority consideration for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities without significant government or mining-sector funding

Facilities can apply by emailing aquatics@rlssa.org.au or cermpi@unisa.edu.au with the subject line CERM PI Scholarship Application, and including facility name, location and contact details.

Why Participate?

Participation enables aquatic facility operators to:

• Benchmark against national performance standards
• Identify strengths and priority areas for improvement
• Contribute to a stronger, evidence-based sector
• Receive a tailored benchmarking report and the 2025 National Benchmarks Bulletin (valued at $649)

The 2025 survey deadline has been extended from the 15 December 2025to the 5 January 2026, with a registration cost of $245 per facility (excl. GST).

Facilities can register now via this link.