Cockburn ARC named PLA 2018 Community Facility of the Year

Cockburn ARC has been recognised again on the national stage, winning the Community Facility of the Year Award at the 2018 Parks and Leisure Australia Awards.

The award was announced at a gala dinner for the final day of the International Parks and Leisure Congress at the MCG on Tuesday evening in front of over 700 delegates.

Other nominees in the category included Maroochy Beach Gymnastics, the North Sydney Council Coal Loader Platform and Hume City Council's Splash Aqua Park and Leisure Centre.

Cockburn ARC was eligible for the awards as the winner of the same category at the WA Parks and Leisure Awards, announced in June.

Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said that the award was further proof of the outstanding planning and management that have been invested into the facility.

Mayor Howlett advised “the Cockburn ARC facility is built upon a unique collaborative partnership between the City of Cockburn, Fremantle Football Club and Curtin University.

"This partnership has created an industry first, cutting edge, integrated aquatic, recreation, education and elite athlete training facility for the community."

Opened in May 2017, the Cockburn ARC has recorded more than 1.8 million visitors, and is set to reach two million in November 2018.

Cockburn ARC Manager, Brett McEwin, said that it was pleasing to see the facility receive recognition on a national platform, adding “while winning the West Australian Parks and Leisure award was a fantastic achievement, winning at a national level really does mean a lot to the ARC team. It is hugely rewarding for us to see Cockburn ARC showcased on a national level.”

The award adds another feather to the facility’s cap, following national award wins at the Australian Sport, Recreational and Play Industry awards for facility design and development, and the overall award for innovation in July 2018.

The $109 million facility has won multiple awards over the last financial year, including:

• AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety Award 2018
• AUSTSWIM Recognised Swim Centre Award 2018
• Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) 2018: Best Practice in Collaboration between Government and Non-Government Organisations   
• Parks Leisure Australia WA: 2018 Community Facility of the Year
• Australian Sport, Recreational and Play Industry Awards 2018: Facility Design and Development
• Australian Sport, Recreational and Play Industry Awards 2018 Award for Innovation
• Dept of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries 2018 Sport and Recreation Industry Awards Places and Spaces: Planning and Design Award
• Royal Life Saving Excellence in Facility Management National Aquatic Industry Awards 2018
• Royal Life Saving Most Outstanding Contribution by a Facility National Aquatic Industry Safety Awards 2018

Cockburn ARC also secured the Local Government Award at the 2017 Australasian Leisure Management Communication and Marketing Awards.

A full report on the 2018 Parks and Leisure Australia Awards will follow.