City of Whitehorse decides to retain in-house management of Aqualink facilities

The City of Whitehorse has decided to retain the in-house management of Council’s two Aqualink facilities - Aqualink Box Hill and Aqualink Nunawading - meaning the previous Council decision to explore external management models through a tender process will no longer go ahead.

In 2023, Council resolved to explore external management options for a package of aquatics, leisure and recreation facilities due to a number of operational and financial sustainability challenges in the then-current in-house model. As a first step towards this resolution, an Expression of Interest process was conducted for the management of the Learn to Swim programs at these facilities. The resulting contracts came into effect on 1st July 2025. The next phase was to undertake a request for tender (RFT) process for the management of the remaining services at the two Aqualink sites.

However, over the past two years substantial progress has been made in strengthening operations, creating an opportunity to reassess the delivery model before proceeding to market. Improvements achieved since 2023 include the completion of the Learn to Swim procurement process, approval of the Enterprise Agreement 2025 to better align employment conditions with the sector, enhanced membership experience including the introduction of Reformer Pilates, improved financial performance through successful membership and attendance campaigns, and changes to fees and charges to better reflect the market.

These changes have helped put Council in a strong position to continue managing services in-house and support long-term sustainability with Council noting “while management will remain in-house, Council is committed to continuous improvement and will continue working to strengthen the service delivery model, ensuring our programs and facilities meet evolving community needs.

“We thank everyone who took part in the engagement process. We also recognise and thank our staff, whose ongoing professionalism and commitment provide the foundation for the future of our aquatic services.”

Image.Aqualink Nunawading. Credit:City of Whitehorse