Published 23 August 2022
Aquatic facilities are at the heart of many Australian communities. They play a vital role in drowning prevention by providing a safe place to swim, a place to teach kids and adults swimming and water safety skills, and as a place of community connection.
This is why aquatic facilities are a key priority area of the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030.
At the National Water Safety Summit, a dedicated session on aquatic facilities was convened. While a small component of the overall summit, the presentations and panel discussion were engaging and thought-provoking for delegates.
Royal Life Saving’s National Manager – Aquatics, RJ Houston said the session highlighted the social impact and value of aquatic facilities, while cautioning that more than 500 swimming pools are approaching the end of their lifespan by 2030.
“Research commissioned by Royal Life Saving has demonstrated to policy makers and the community the positive social impact of aquatic facilities, however many pools are at risk of closure or in need of renewed investment,” said Mr Houston.
“A teaser of soon-to-be-released research, and the experiences of our expert panellists, discussed some of the opportunities and challenges facing the national aquatic industry and the community in achieving the targets set under the Australian Water Safety Strategy.
“It was terrific to see the enthusiasm to work towards increased availability and sustainability of aquatic facilities in line with the Australian Water Safety Strategy targets.”
The afternoon session on day one of the summit brought together industry, government, and drowning prevention experts. The heavy-hitting panel discussion included insights from:
- Associate Professor Adam Karg, Swinburne University
- Peter Leaversuch, CEO Royal Life Saving Western Australia
- Dr John Tower, Victoria University
- Neal Ames, Recreation and Open Space Planner, Waverly Council
- John Summers, Managing Director, Leisure Management Excellence
- Tim Goward, Executive Coordinator Aquatic Centres, Gold Coast City Council
- James Ellender, CEO ActiveXchange
- Kara Monaghan, Regional Manager VIC/TAS, Belgravia Leisure
- Jay Clarke, Managing Director, City Venue Management
Royal Life Saving will be launching further research into aquatic facility infrastructure and the learn- to-swim ecosystem in the coming months.
