City Venue Management take on operations contract at Townsville’s Northern Beaches Leisure Centre

February 24, 2025

Following a public tender, Townsville City Council has awarded the contract to manage its Northern Beaches Leisure Centre to City Venue Management (CVM) - commencing as of 1st March.

In taking on the contract, CVM will replace current facility operator and Queensland Olympian Jon Sieben from JMS Aquatics who has run the facility for the last 16 years.

JMS Aquatics lease ended on 31st January, with the site undergoing a tender process since November.

With CVM securing the lease, JMS Aquatics wrote to participants in the swim school and squad programs last week advising “we are very proud of our Top 10 Learn to Swim Program, as this year, we produced our first swimmer who started in our Baby Swim program and has progressed, uninterrupted by participation in any other program, to the National Age Championships.

“We produce ‘thinking swimmers’ who are safer in and around water no matter how you want to enjoy it, whether as a family or a competitive swimmer at the national level.

“We are so proud of our teachers and lifeguards who we have had the privilege to work with over our 16 years at NBLC.”

A Townsville City Council spokesman confirmed that City Venue Management had been appointed as the new operator, advising “given the current lease was coming to an end for the operations of the Northern Beaches Leisure Centre, council conducted a public tender process in the final months of 2024.

“In a competitive process, council has awarded the operations of the Northern Beaches Leisure Centre to Queensland-owned City Venue Management, who will take over the operations of the facility from March 1, 2025.

“City Venue Management are working closely with the current lessee to transition pool operations in the coming weeks as smoothly as possible.

“The current operator is contracted to continue services up until the end of their lease, and Council does not expect a disruption in the services provided.”

Riverway Lagoons reopen
The Council has also advised that two lagoons at its Riverway recreation and sport precinct have reopened following extensive work by Council team members to repair damage from recent flooding

The Council’s team spent two-and-a-half weeks, pumping about one metre of floodwater out of the plant room and undertaking repairs to pumps and equipment that were damaged during the event.

Council teams and contractors also removed debris from the lagoons by hand while the pumps were being repaired, chemical dosing to bring water quality back to regulation standards and cleaning the balance tank and backwash tanks to ensure the lagoons remain balanced and filtered.

Images: The Northern Beaches Leisure Centre (top and middle, credit: Townsville City Council) and the two lagoons at the Riverway recreation and sport precinct (below, credit: Adobe Stock).

15th February 2025 - Queensland Government offers disaster relief payments to community sporting clubs

18th December 2024 - City Venue Management announces new leadership structure to drive growth and innovation

30th July 2024 - Townsville’s Strand aquatic playspace undergoes significant maintenance

13th March 2024 - Townsville’s Northern Beaches Leisure Centre hosts inaugural Lightning Swim Club event

31st August 2023 - City Venue Management recognised as top performer in Workplace Excellence Awards

18th August 2023 - City Venue Management announced as new operator for Toowoomba aquatic and fitness facilities

13th February 2023 - Townsville’s Northern Beaches Leisure Centre reopens after major upgrade

23rd December 2022 - City Venue Management achieves Queensland first Child Safe Certification

30th November 2022 - City Venue Management secures key Gold Coast Business Excellence Award

12th October 2022 - Fish N Flips Swim School in Townsville experiences growing popularity

13th September 2022 - Royal Life Saving Society Australia releases new water safety strategy for Townsville community comment

28th July 2022 - Dedicated working group seeks to maximise benefit of XXXV Olympiad for the Townsville community

5th July 2022 - City Venue Management to open new Fish N Flips swim school in Townsville

20th December 2021 - Townsville Council calls for tenders for Northern Beaches Leisure Centre upgrade

26th August 2021 - City Venue Management opens first Fish N Flips swim school

17th December 2020 - Work to commence on indoor court complex at Townsville Sports Reserve

14th December 2020 - City Venue Management group unveils inaugural scholarship scheme for Queensland Olympic swimming hopefuls

30th December 2019 - Call for cyclone-rated lighting installation at Townsville’s Riverway Stadium

5th July 2019 - Townsville’s Riverway Stadium the 48th venue to host an AFL match

26th July 2018 - City Venue Management takes on management of Kawana Aquatic Centre

11th March 2018 - Councils and developers look to embrace lagoon lifestyles

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

Click here to view our subscription options.