commercial feature
Ashfield Aquatic Centre nears completion The program pool can go from 2.4 metres to zero depth in about two minutes
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ydney’s Inner West Council is preparing to open its newly redeveloped Ashfield Aquatic Centre in late September or early October. The project is part of the council’s $65 million investment in park and aquatic facilities over three years, the biggest investment in sports facilities in the history of the Inner West. Not only is the project on time, it is also meeting its budget. The approved budget for the redevelopment is nearly $45 million. As at the end of June 2020, expenditure was just over $38 million (86 per cent). The centre includes a new 50-metre outdoor pool with accessible ramp and split boom; a new program pool with floating floor; a new children’s leisure pool with landscaping and green wall; a new two-storey entry building with cafe, change areas, crèche, staff facilities and retail space; a new 1000sqm gym on Level 2 of the entry building; new sauna, steam and spa attached to the existing pool hall building; a community green space and covered seating; landscaping areas and terraces for the external pools; and increased parking spaces. The project is being completed without the assistance of federal or state grants.
68 SPLASH! August/September 2020
Important part of the suite
Inner West Council’s senior manager for sport and recreation, Simon Duck, says the facility is an important element of their suite of five aquatic and leisure facilities, which also includes Leichhardt Aquatic Centre, Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre and two seasonal pools, one being a harbour pool. “The Inner West Council has what I think is the most diverse suite of aquatic centres in Australia because of its unique nature made up of harbour pools, outdoor pools and multipurpose large aquatics and leisure facilities. An incredible diverse range that can provide aquatics and recreation for up to 200,000 people in the LGA,” he says. The pools will be open year-round and heated with a combination of solar and heat pumps. The pool temperatures will vary but the target temperature for the outdoor pool will be 27 degrees. Duck says the council is very pleased with how much facility they’ll be getting for the budget. “The architects, the design and construction to date have been outstanding.” He believes the facility will be the prime regional pool for school carnivals, as it is a 50-metre outdoor