What will replace the Civic Olympic Pool? Photo: Canberra Olympic Pool, Facebook.
Having lobbied unsuccessfully every time for a significant feature when a major swimming facility is proposed for Canberra, I am giving it one last shot.
The new $138-million Canberra aquatic facility, to be built at Commonwealth Park, replacing the existing Civic Olympic Pool, will feature a 50-metre lap pool, splash play areas and more.
There is no mention of a warm-up pool or significant spectator seating required to host major competitions.
I campaigned for increased seating, a diving facility and a 25-metre warm-up pool prior to the Belconnen, Gungahlin and Stromlo centres, but to little effect; they were built without these features.
Swim training at Stromlo Leisure Centre. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Having spent many weekends as a swimming parent when my children were involved in competitive swimming, I can tell you that the seating at the AIS leaves a lot to be desired. Nor is it adequate to meet the needs of a major swim event.
However, for Canberra to be considered a major competition swimming destination, these features must be combined with a state-of-the-art electronic timing system.
The new Adelaide aquatic centre, with a budget of $135 million, features a 50-metre indoor pool, a learn-to-swim pool, and a 25-metre outdoor pool with a one-metre springboard and a three-metre platform diving facility.
There is a reference to spectator seating for 600 in the plans for the Adelaide centre, but with a capability to increase for major competitions.
I suppose the dilemma for the ACT Government is whether it views staging major swimming competitions as a driver for tourism. If not, there won’t be a desire for seating, nor a warm-up pool.
The argument provided in the past for Canberra not considering diving in plans for aquatic centres has been the overall cost, problems with depth and other physical structures required to build a diving facility, public liability insurance, and the small number of competitive divers in the city.
Canberra’s only diving facility at Civic Olympic Pool. Photo: File.
A counterargument could be that more people will take up diving if there is a decent facility.
I do not doubt that there will be submissions from swimmers involved in recreation, triathlons, masters, underwater sports, and water polo who sometimes find it hard to find pool space, as club squads often utilise facilities in the early mornings and late afternoons.
Admittedly, the ACT Government faces a delicate balancing act in catering to all interested parties, and there has been a strong indication that they will seriously consider all proposals from the public.
This is the reason we need to get it right, with the likelihood that there won’t be another major aquatic facility built in Canberra in the foreseeable future.
The public submissions, which close on 16 November, could play a significant role in determining the final outcome.
