The Thebarton Aquatic Centre will reopen to the public this week following an extensive $8.7 million refurbishment.
Visitors will enjoy refurbished pools, along with a reconstructed concourse around the edge of the pools, including a new wet deck for the 25 metre pool, slip resistant tiles, improved drainage and a new inclusive ramp into the main pool.
New walls, fresh paint and a new roof have not only improved the look and feel of the centre but will also increase the structural life of the building.
The change rooms have been rebuilt and now provide 50 per cent more toilets and showers than were previously available.
A new lifeguard office and first aid room will provide a direct view and access to the pool deck.
The refurbishment also includes two new multipurpose areas able to be used for presentations. They will be available as learning and function spaces with students from the adjacent Thebarton Senior College and the Department for Education's Water Safety program also able to use the space for teaching and learning water safety skills.
The Department for Education has invested in new resources at the centre, including equipment to ensure personalised water safety, disability support and WHS compliance, which includes a defibrillator.
YMCA South Australia will be the new operator. It operates a range of venues across South Australia including The Parks Recreation and Sports Centre, the Purruna Spencer Newton Centre at Scotch College and the St Clair Recreation Centre.
The centre has been closed since late September to enable the major upgrade of this much-loved community facility to be undertaken. The upgraded Thebarton Aquatic Centre will be open on Monday 15 July.
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As put by Tom Koutsantonis
It's fantastic to see the Thebarton Aquatic Centre reopen with a fresh new look to welcome back the thousands of people who visit the centre each week.
Among those are user groups such as the Department for Education, Thebarton College, the Henley and Grange Swimming Club, the Lakers Triathlon Club, and Masters Swimming, who have called the centre home for decades.
The Thebarton Aquatic Centre is an integral facility in the Department for Education's Water Safety program, which builds children's confidence and skills in the water, encouraging an active, healthy lifestyle at the beach, on the river and in the pool.
We anticipate that the Thebarton pool program will once again be at capacity with the upgraded facilities enabling an expansion of educational opportunities in this great new learning environment. Around 500 Learn to Swim students will commence classes within weeks and schools are already booked in and lining up to arrange their bookings for 2025.
I'd like to thank the local community, particularly all pool users and the surrounding neighbours, for their patience and understanding during these important upgrades.
As put by Chief Executive of YMCA South Australia David Paterson
We're absolutely delighted to have been asked to activate the newly refurbished Thebarton Aquatic Centre. Just like the facility itself, we have a long history of serving children, families, and schools through water safety and swimming programs.
Today, we're both SA's largest manager of aquatic facilities and the leading OSHC provider in primary schools, with a combined total of around 2 million participations each year.
What's more, we're a community-based, non-profit organisation. So, the partnership at Thebarton Aquatic Centre is a perfect fit. We look forward to welcoming all who attend this iconic, and now fully upgraded, centre.
