South Australians are being encouraged to have their say about the best location for the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre, with public consultation starting today.
The Malinauskas Labor Government is investing $82.4 million to build, own and operate a modern, fit-for-purpose Aquatic Centre on Adelaide’s northern Park Lands – to be completed by March 2026.
The existing City of Adelaide Aquatic Centre has reached the end of its operational life and will be replaced by a facility that delivers better amenities and services that meet the needs of the community.
The public consultation, commencing today, focuses on the community’s preferred location for the new facility – which could be built in the south-west corner, south-east corner or north-east corner of Park 2.
Prior to the election commitment, City of Adelaide undertook an extensive analysis for a new facility, including the three locations being consulted on.
Any of the three proposed site locations will allow the existing facility to remain open during construction of the new centre. Once the new centre is opened, the existing Adelaide Aquatic Centre will be demolished and returned to Park Lands.
In addition to community engagement, the State Government will, this week, start a procurement process for the design of the new facility. An open expression of interest will be released to qualified architectural firms, followed by request for tender to shortlisted companies.
Feedback on the preferred location can be provided at a pop-up information stand at the Adelaide Aquatic Centre or drop-in information sessions on 22 June (3pm to 6pm) and 25 June (1pm to 4pm) at the Torrens Room, Adelaide Inn, 160 O’Connell Street, North Adelaide.
The community can also provide feedback by visiting www.dit.sa.gov.au/aac and completing an online survey or by posting a ‘pin’ on the online map of the Park Lands.
A Community Reference Group is being formed to review community feedback.
For more information please call 1300 794 880, visit www.dit.sa.gov.au/aac or email dit.communityrelations@sa.gov.au
Quotes
Attributable to Tom Koutsantonis
We are committed to building a new facility that meets the needs and expectations of the community and is able to be utilised for the long-term.
This will be a centre that is used by residents across many different communities in and around Adelaide’s CBD, and it is important that those communities have their say in its future.
Attributable to Lucy Hood
This is an exciting first step towards delivering a new, state-of-the-art facility that will keep people of all ages - from babies through to seniors - fit and active and safe in the water.
Importantly, the current facility will continue to operate while we build the new centre – meaning the hundreds of thousands of visitors, locals and families who rely on this service each year won’t miss out during the upgrade.
