Reservoir Leisure Centre redevelopment
Investing in community health and wellbeing – a Wellness Hub and improved aquatic facilities in Reservoir.
A vision for significant investment in community health and wellbeing facilities in Reservoir over the next 10 years, including redevelopment of the Reservoir Leisure Centre, was endorsed by Council on 26 April 2022.
The endorsed vision is to develop Reservoir Leisure Centre into a community Wellness Hub to provide quality health, wellbeing and recreation experiences for the East Reservoir community and the broader communities of Reservoir, North Preston, Kingsbury, Bundoora and Macleod.
Council plans to create new and improved facilities as part of the hub to meet key community needs. The vision is to:
- Make it easier for the community to access and navigate allied and community health.
- Position Reservoir Leisure Centre as a community meeting place for physical activity and social connection.
- Enable diverse and expanded programming.
- Create a place the community is proud of, with a warm, welcoming environment.
- Increase participation and use of the facilities and programs by the diverse community.
The vision for aquatic facilities will be achieved through:
- An accessible and free public outdoor water splash park next door to the Reservoir Leisure Centre in TW Andrews Park.
- Expansion of pools to increase hydrotherapy and learn to swim facilities
- Refreshed water play areas at Reservoir Leisure Centre
- Lap swimming facilities would continue to be part of the Centre
We are now undertaking investigation and early design work on options (with options for different size pools to respond to community needs) for the redevelopment of Reservoir Leisure Centre, and options will be reported to Council in early April 2023. As part of this work we will investigate how this facility could attain a 6 Star rating under the new Green Star Buildings rating tool.
The investment Council is planning over 10 to 20 years for the Reservoir Wellness Hub is around $60 million. This is a major investment that Council plans to implement progressively over time. Council is seeking support from other levels of Government to fund this major and necessary investment in community infrastructure.
We have undertaken needs analysis and research to understand the diverse community needs both now and into the future with regard to health, wellbeing and recreation. This research recommended new water play areas and expansion of programs pools for learn to swim and hydrotherapy as the highest priorities.
There has been consideration and discussion by both Council and the community about whether a 50 metre pool should be prioritised, acknowledging the financial constraints.
In regard to lap swimming, the vision for Reservoir Leisure Centre provides for lap swimmers, and advanced lap swimmers with a specific preference or need for a 50 metre pool will be catered for via other nearby facilities.
Council has been working towards this vision for a number of years and in 2019 requested a report to understand how the full redevelopment of Reservoir Leisure Centre could address socioeconomic disadvantage in the northern end of the City. This was a key element of Council’s research.
This is part of Council’s longstanding and deep commitment to an equitable, vibrant and connected community and supporting our diverse communities and places.