AusLeisure

Wollongong City Council has advised that it will be transforming its 44-year-old toddlers’ pool at the Western Suburbs Pool in Unanderra into a new, accessible water play facility for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.

A plan to enter into negotiations for the design and construction to update the ageing facility was approved by Council this week who hope the new attraction will be completed and opened mid-January 2023.

The idea behind the free water play facility comes out of community feedback requesting new, interactive water play features for children as part of Council’s Future of Our Pools Strategy 2014-2024.

As the 44-year-old Unanderra toddlers’ pool has reached its end of life, it’s an ideal opportunity to redesign and construct a new, interactive water play attraction.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery advised “This is the first of its kind for Wollongong City Council. It’s a good example of how community feedback can shape Council’s decisions when planning for public facilities such as our ever-popular pools.

“We know that our community is keen to see new water play facilities at local pools and, to maximise the use our resources wisely, we can make changes like this as our existing assets are ready for an upgrade.

“In this case, the toddlers’ pool at the Western Suburbs Pool has definitely reached the point where it needs some love and attention. However, instead of just rolling out a new square box pool, this presents us with the chance to rethink the future of this space.”

Works on the new, accessible water play space are expected to begin in November 2022 and will be completed by mid-January 2023, subject to entering a satisfactory contract and prevailing weather conditions.

During construction, the rest of the pool facilities, including the 50 metre and 25 metre pools, will remain open to the public.

Lord Mayor Bradbery added “what I think is one of the best parts of this project is that the new water play space will be accessible for people with a disability.

“We’re also planning to build a new changing place and unisex, accessible amenities adjacent to the new water play area. These upgrades will provide additional value to the Western Suburbs Pool as an important community asset, especially during summer.

“Accessibility is a strong focus of Council and we’re trying to keep this in mind from the very start of the design process. What we hope is that by incorporating accessible design into projects such as this one, many more people can enjoy community facilities.”

Image used for illustrative purposes only: Life Floor interactive waterplay

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