Affluent suburbs of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney benefit from enhanced swimming pool provision

Public swimming pools in affluent areas of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are provided for as few 7,000 residents, while newer and outlying suburbs may have a ratio as high as 138,000 residents per facility.

A report in today’s Guardian Australia reveals this imbalance, highlighting how areas in council areas like Parramatta, Penrith, Hills Shire and Blacktown in western Sydney are some of the worst-served in terms of public aquatic centres.

The analysis of council and census data by Guardian Australia, goes on to show that in the Victorian local government area of Melton, there is one publicly accessible aquatic centre for every 178,960 people.

Drawing on Royal Life Saving Society - Australia research, which shows there are 2,113 public pools nationally, equivalent to one facility per 12,200 people, the Guardian Australia notes that while nine in 10 Australians live within a 20-minute drive of such a facility, access isn’t evenly distributed by population.

In Sydney, councils like Parramatta had more than 134,000 residents per aquatic centre, compared to about 14,000 in Randwick and just over 7,000 per facility in Mosman.

In Melbourne, the situation in outer suburbs in councils like Melton contrasts with inner-city areas like Merri-bek and Yarra, with just over 30,000 residents per public pool facility.

Speaking to Guardian Australia, injury prevention lecturer and researcher Dr Amy Peden of the UNSW Sydney Medicine and Health, explained “access is definitely not equal.”

Dr Peden noted that facilities also differ in size, cost and proximity to transport connections - also acknowledging that outdoor pools in rural and regional areas often open seasonally, limiting access.

She adds that “the multimillion-dollar aquatic centre with a roof and beautiful water temperature year-round” is not the experience in many places.

The report also shows the spread is unequal across states and territories, with people in the Northern Territory and Tasmania having lower access than those in other states like Victoria, NSW and South Australia.

Royal Life Saving is concerned that issues like access and cost are contributing to a decline in swimming skills, with potentially deadly consequences.

David Holland, a strategic adviser on diversity and community outreach for Life Saving Victoria, says pools are key to engaging the community about water safety.

Holland told Guardian Australia “regardless of where someone might live, their age, gender, background or socioeconomic status, we fundamentally believe everyone should be able to access safe and enjoyable aquatic environments.

“Public pools play an integral role in ensuring everyone across our community can enjoy the water safely, undertake vital swimming and water safety education and build their skills and confidence in the water.”

Dr Peden says aquatic facilities are a place for recreation, where young people can spend the day with friends, and somewhere to cool off and recuperate, as global heating increases the frequency of extreme heat events, adding “the power of the public pool goes beyond swimming laps, or learning to swim.”

Image: The newly opened Oran Park Leisure Centre in south west Sydney. Royal Life Saving Society - Australia figures reveal that there are 333 million visits to public pools every year.