ACT pools prepare for summer

October 11, 2019

The ACT Government, which is responsible for overseeing the management of six public swimming pools in the Canberra region, is preparing for the 2019/20 summer swimming season.

Canberrans can visit Canberra Olympic Pool, Lakeside Leisure Centre, Gungahlin Leisure Centre and Active Leisure Centre in Erindale year-round, with each facility offering a range of indoor activities such as heated pools, gyms and cafes.

In addition, outdoor facilities - Dickson Pool and Manuka Pool - operate each summer season.

In 2018/19, the six ACT Government pools saw a successful swimming season with over 1,050,000 centre visits. Over the summer period Canberrans flocked to our outdoor pools - with Dickson Pool seeing a 25% increase and Manuka Pool experiencing a 15% increase in visitation numbers.

The ACT Government has invested in a new perimeter fence and upgrades to the retaining wall in the beach volleyball courts at Dickson Pool, as well some temporary upgrades underway to improve the forecourt.

The historic Manuka Pool has undergone extensive works to ensure the pool meets modern health standards, retains and protects the original heritage design elements, and provides a place for all Canberrans to enjoy for years to come.

The works include a new filtration plant, upgrades to the pool structure, new filtered water lines/inlets in the pool, new underground balance tank, retiling the entire pool, new concrete concourse, upgraded poolside seating and repainting of the main building.

To retile the pool, an extensive worldwide search was also undertaken for tiles that remained sympathetic to the original and met modern slip resistance standards.

The new Mount Stromlo Leisure Centre is coming along with the roof of the main building nearly complete, plastering and concreting underway and is set to open in the first half of 2020.

With the Canberra Olympic Pool having suffered serious leakage issues over recent years - in 2015 it was revealed that the diving and toddler pools in the outdoor section of the facility were leaking up to 46,000 litres a day, equating to 19 million litres annually - the ACT Government has considered possible locations for a new swimming pool in the capital, with repair work on the Pool only expected to extend its life by a few years.

Speaking to 666 ABC Canberra in 2015, the ACT Sport and Recreation Minister Shane Rattenbury said that although temporary work had been completed to fix the leaking pools, it was not a long-term solution.

He explained "I think with the Civic pool we're only ever going to be putting band-aids on it to keep it going.

"It is getting towards the end of its useful life, but until we can build new pools in Canberra to replace it it's important that we maintain it as one of our key aquatic facilities."

Images: The historic Manuka Pool (top) and the Gungahlin Leisure Centre (below).

10th September 2019 - Salti Active Canberra program launched

10th September 2019 - ACT Government invites Expression of Interest for new Canberra Ice Sports Facility

21st September 2018 - YMCA NSW cleans up at the ACT Aquatic Industry Awards

14th September 2018 - Construction of ACT’s Stromlo Leisure Centre underway

10th March 2018 - Community consultation shapes new Canberra aquatic and recreation centre

19th December 2016 - New aquatic and recreation centre to be built at Canberra’s Australian National University

20th January 2016 - Canberra Olympic Pool continues to leak despite repair work

2nd November 2015 - Canberra Olympic Pool reopening not a long term solution

1st September 2015 - YMCA NSW to manage Lakeside Leisure Centre in Canberra

10th August 2015 - Search continues for Canberra Olympic Pool leaks as YMCA NSW steps in as interim operator

31st July 2015 - ACT Government launches a new vision for recreation and play

4th May 2015 - Outdoor seasonal pools under ongoing threats

19th March 2015 - Gungahlin Leisure Centre appoints new high performance swim squad coach Shannon Rollason

17th May 2014 - Gungahlin Leisure Centre to launch with open day on 24th May

27th March 2012 - ACT Government reveals plans for new Gungahlin Leisure Centre

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