New aquatic and recreation centre to be built at Canberra’s Australian National University

The Australian National University has announced plans to build a new $14 million pool aquatic and recreation facility.

The new centre, which will feature as part of a larger $200 million upgrade to Union Court, the university's main precinct will include a 25-metre six-lane indoor pool, an hydrotherapy pool and a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week gym.

The ANU announced the plans today calling it a "multi-million-dollar Christmas present" for students, staff and surrounding Canberra suburbs.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said a swimming pool was one of the most requested items for many years, stating “the suggestion that ANU should have a swimming pool is one that is made often and repeatedly by everyone here, from first-year students to professors who have been on the campus since before most of our students were born.

"ANU has grown substantially over the past decade and we now have more than 4,000 staff and 22,000 students, including 5,000 who live on the campus."

Located just a 2 kilometres from the ageing Canberra Olympic Pool in the suburb of Civic, the ANU has been in discussions with the ACT Government about extending the size of the main pool to 50 metres.

Professor Schmidt said if the ACT Government helped fund the pool, the university would instead build a 50-metre Olympic facility.

He added that "there are some complications of mixing a public and private facility like this, but I would say that there's a great deal of good will on both sides.

"I'm not yet confident it'll be a 50-metre pool but we're working hard to try to make it happen if it's feasible."

The Canberra Olympic Pool in Civic has been plagued by leaks, losing 33,000 litres of water per day in January last year.

In March 2015 it was leaking 46,000 litres a day, prompting the pool's closure while divers worked to plug the leak.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed the Government was in preliminary discussions with the ANU to deliver a new 50-metre pool in the city.

He explained “given the issues associated with the ageing Civic pool this is an interesting idea, which could be an economical way to build and share the benefits of a new CBD Olympic pool.”

Image:  An artist's impression of the new ANU recreation building, housing the 25-metre, six-lane pool. Courtesy of ANU.

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