On Friday 31st August, Mayor Tracey Roberts and Councillor Natalie Sangalli, along with representatives from John Quigley and Christian Porters Offices were presented petitions from Swimming Captains of Peter Moyes Anglican Community School and Irene McCormack Catholic College to support the drive for a local 50m Aquatic Facility.

The proposed scheduled timeline of delivery between 2042 and 2046 has now been brought forward with a Needs & Feasibility Study currently funded with a timeframe of actual delivery in 2022. 

With the recent, continued and projected growth of the City of Wanneroo the facility is much needed, ideally within the next 5 years.

Recent support from the Federal Government has pushed for improved swimming education in primary schools in order to address a deadly decline in water safety skills. Sport 2030 unveiled by the Government has a blueprint to “reshape the face of Australian sport and build a healthier, more physically active nation’’.

The Sport 2030 document, unveiled by federal Sport Minister Bridget McKenzie, demands every Australian child have access to basic swimming and water safety education and knowledge. “State and territory governments have reduced mandatory learn to swim programs in schools, and cost of living pressures mean families are not prioritising learning to swim,’’ it says.

“As a result, many children will leave primary school this year without the swimming and water safety skills and knowledge they will need to be safe around water for the rest of their lives.’’

All children should have access to a learn to swim program in Primary School.  Support for a greater focus on teaching swimming to school-age children provides skills for life for kids around beaches, waterways and dams.

Swimming in Australia is a way of life and a fundamental life skill, so it is vitally important that our children learn to swim for their safety, enjoyment and health.

A northern 50m swimming pool aquatic facility has a multitude of positive benefits for the local community:

  • Social inclusion of young, middle aged and elderly
  • Promote personal fitness in the community
  • Swimming classes
  • Increased water awareness preventing drownings
  • Less travel time for Primary School students travelling to compulsory swimming lessons
  • More access to pool space for Secondary School students
  • Opportunity for new sporting clubs:
  •  Masters swimming club
  •  Youth swimming club
  •  Triathlon club


This list of benefits is by no means exhaustive.

If you have not already done so, I would encourage you to sign the petition in support of this much needed facility.

Written by Bernie Streeter, Director of Sports