The Bundaberg Aquatic Centre is making strides towards its highly anticipated completion with three new and accessible pools set to open to the public early in mid-2025.
Once available, the centre will offer year-round training, remedial and recreational swimming options for people of all ages and abilities.
The facility, situated on Walker Street (opposite the Bundaberg Multiplex), will be home to a 50-metre x 10 lane competition pool, an indoor lap pool, and a warm water hydrotherapy program pool designed all with accessibility in mind.
The competition pool will be a standout feature, built to the same specifications as Olympic pools, including a depth of two metres and a width of 25 metres and with built-in facilities for judging, timing, scoreboard and marshalling.
For recreational swimmers, the centre will provide an indoor 25-metre x eight lane lap pool, heated to 28 degrees and enclosed to allow for year-round use.
A heated program and learn-to-swim pool will also be available, offering warm water for remedial swimming, aqua aerobics, and physiotherapy.
This pool, which will be accessible by ramp, chair lift and pool hoist will feature depths ranging from 90 cm to 1.4 metres.
Mayor Helen Blackburn said the facility would be a key asset for the entire community.
“The Bundaberg Aquatic Centre will be a facility for all, providing accessible and inclusive opportunities for everybody to enjoy,” she said.
“The design ensures that everyone can benefit, from young children learning to swim to those who want to exercise, or it can be a spot used to simply have fun and cool down.
“With inclusive features like ramp access to all three pools and year-round use of the indoor lap pool, we’re providing a space that truly serves all members of our community.”
Sport and Recreation portfolio spokesperson Cr Carmen McEneany said there were also plenty of benefits for local athletes.
“This facility is a game-changer for competitive swimming in our region,” she said.
“Our athletes will have access to world-class facilities, helping them reach new heights in their training and performance.
“Beyond competition, the centre will also provide a place for locals of all levels to develop their skills, promote health and fitness, and foster a strong community spirit.
“With tiling now complete in all three pools the special markings for sports like water polo and under water hockey are now visible demonstrating the variety of recreational opportunities this facility will cater to.”
To support the pools, the facility also has a child’s play area, cafeteria with adjacent seating areas, training rooms for hire, grassed marque area and two carparking areas for approximately 165 cars and four accessibility parking.
Project progress
The construction of the Aquatic Centre is earmarked for completion by April 2025 (weather permitting).
Bundaberg Regional Council will soon award the tender for the management of the facility.
The project is currently progressing with the installation of key fixtures, including handrails, starting blocks, and aquatic water treatment infrastructure.
The tiling of all three pools is now complete.
External works are also underway, including the construction of parking, pathways, and security fencing, as well as preparation for landscaping.
Once construction is finalised, the next steps will include pool filling, commissioning and testing of services, followed by the installation of essential equipment such as scoreboards and timing systems.
The facility will need to be officially certified for use before its opening which Council anticipates will be in mid-2025.
Read more about the project here.
What a Joke..
Over time ,definately waaaay over budget.
Myself & thousands of other Bundaberg people will ever use this.
What is the entry cost per person going to be ??
$280.00 per family??
White elephant built on a garbage tip.
Well done consecutive councils to see it through.
If you ever asked the residents it would have been a resounding NO, Do not do this.
Lets keep pretending it could be a training facility for the 2032 olympics, Just like the rowing complex at Bucca was Gunna be in the past.
Remember those claims ?????
$280 per family is Gin Gin & ISIS price…
Norville (& Anzac Pool was):
Family pass (2 adults, 2 children) $590 (+$20/ additional child)
This dose not give you all year round access either $590 only pays for 8 Months.
I would not be surprised if Bundaberg aquatic center costs more to swim at..
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With Buss tickets currently at 50 cents you could take the whole family swimming for $2 a trip at Bargara beach or the Basin.
What you save on using this facility could offset having lunch at one of Bargara’s many eateries as well.
They should have done this along time ago. Cement & Asphalt significantly increases capping on old dump lands reducing the emissions to virtually 0. What they should not have done was allowed a old dump to be used as a show grounds that stooped it from getting developed on & stooped it from getting improved capping allowing it to rot & pollute for decades. EPA should have stooped the council from using that land as a permanent show grounds.
@James Community consolation was the first step of redeveloping the old show grounds in 2013. Council offered participation in a Survey in 2020 for both the redevlopment of Anzac park & the building of this pool.
Should have never allowed such high value land to be used as either a show grounds that was only open 3 days a year or a dump. It’s to centrally located for either purpose. Out near the airport is appropriate for both of these we finally had representatives that had common sense. It’s a mistake of the past in a time when people where ok with a dump being near to where they live.
I can’t think of a easier way to get rid of COVID muscle atrophy then swimming in a heated up pool why would you not use it? We can use it to improve our fitness.
Seeing this pool has solar power on the roof can you also use the heat from the panels to heat the pool reducing heating cost further? This would also provide cooling to the panels as well to increase there efficiency. Solar panels work better when kept cool.