Drafted 11 July 2025

Aquatic and Leisure Stream at NSC 2025 supports inclusion, social connection and preventative health outcomes at aquatic facilities

Photo: PITCHFEST – Social Impact Measurement Session

The National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC) 2025, held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in June, once again brought together leaders and innovators from across sport, recreation, aquatics and leisure to shape the future of the sector.

Royal Life Saving Australia was proud to partner with NSC to deliver the Aquatic & Leisure Management Stream and support the participation of ten Emerging Leaders Scholars from across Australia. These initiatives reflect our ongoing commitment to strengthening the aquatic and leisure industry and building the next generation of leaders.

Aquatic & Leisure Management Stream: Content Highlights

This year’s stream explored the evolving role of aquatic and leisure centres, recognising that these facilities are no longer just places to swim laps or attend fitness classes. Communities increasingly expect centres to deliver broader value — supporting inclusion, social connection, and preventative health outcomes.

The program featured a series of forward-looking and evidence-informed presentations and panels, including:

• Public–Private Partnerships and Infrastructure Investment: CEOs Anthony Lawrence (Clublinks) and Todd McHardy (BlueFit) outlined how PPP and BOOT models can unlock private investment in public infrastructure when tenure and return-on-investment settings are aligned. This was complemented by a government perspective, with contributions from Adam Trottman (South Australian Government), Philip Saikaly (Victorian Government), and Tim Goward (City of Gold Coast).
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Aquatics: Dr Carleigh Yeomans presented findings from new research into the state of DEI in aquatics and leisure, while RJ Houston highlighted insights from the workforce profile of the sector, developed in partnership with the National Aquatic Industry Committee. This body of work continues to inform evidence-based approaches to workforce development and inclusion.
• Workforce Wellbeing and Safety: A critical panel featuring senior executives Jacqui O’Dwyer (Aligned Leisure), Scott Vanderheyden (Belgravia Leisure) and Paul McPherson (the Y) tackled the challenges of anti-social behaviour and psychosocial safety in the workplace, providing practical examples of organisational strategies to support staff wellbeing in increasingly complex environments.
• Measuring Social Impact: At the PitchFEST session, experts Ian Boorman (the Y), Alex Burrows (ActiveXchange), Jeff Walkley (Belgravia Leisure) and Dr Carleigh Yeomans (Swinburne University) shared leading-edge approaches to measuring and reporting the social value of aquatic and leisure facilities — an area of growing importance for local governments and operators.
• Innovating Facilities for Community Needs: The stream concluded with case studies from CEOs Jay Clarke (City Venue Management), Nick Cox (Belgravia leisure) and Kath Thom (Peninsula Leisure) on how facility operators can adapt and innovate assets to remain relevant to changing consumer trends and community expectations.

These sessions collectively reinforced that aquatic and leisure facilities play a vital role as health, social, water safety and inclusion hubs, and must be designed, managed and adapted to reflect these diverse contributions and remain relevant to communities.

Supporting Emerging Leaders

Royal Life Saving Australia was particularly pleased to support the attendance of ten future leaders under 30 years of age from across the aquatic, lifesaving and leisure ecosystem — representing communities in the NT, QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, SA and WA.

These early-career professionals engaged in robust discussions on inclusion, infrastructure, workforce, and community impact, and connected with senior leaders from around the country.

By investing in these talented individuals, we aim to empower them to bring back learnings and leadership skills to their organisations and communities, ensuring the sector remains future-ready and innovative.

Reflections

Justin Scarr, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Life Saving Australia, reflected:
"We were proud to once again support NSC as it brings together communities of practice to share knowledge, spark ideas and build solutions. This year’s stream reaffirmed how aquatic and leisure facilities are vital health, social, water safety and drowning prevention hubs in communities nationwide. It was inspiring to see the sector’s shared desire to innovate, include, and adapt."

Martin Sheppard, Chief Executive Officer of the NSC, added:
"The ongoing collaboration with Royal Life Saving ensures that the evolving needs of the aquatic and leisure industry remain front and centre. Together, we can drive sustainable practices, foster inclusion and maximise the value of our facilities for all Australians."

Looking Ahead

Royal Life Saving Australia thanks NSC and all presenters, facilitators and participants for another outstanding convention. We remain committed to supporting initiatives that enhance the social, health, and water safety impact of aquatics and leisure facilities.

We look forward to contributing to NSC again in 2026 — continuing to shape a more sustainable, inclusive and impactful future for our sector.

For more information about the convention and to stay up to date on future NSC events, visit: www.nationalsportsconvention.com.au