Parramatta Council defers aquatic centre decision until February 2018

Plans for a new aquatic centre to replace the former Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Pool, which was demolished earlier this year to make way for Western Sydney Stadium, have been delayed.

In the week before Christmas, City of Parramatta Councillors were presented with six different options for a new aquatic centre but they chose to defer the matter until the New Year, pushing out the timeline for construction of the pool.

The delay also means the Council has failed to follow through on a commitment to the NSW Government where it had promised to submit a business case on the pool before Christmas.

The Council was presented with six options for the new facility including indoor and outdoor facilities for year-round use and an underground parking space, with other options including a fitness centre and water play area.

With the NSW Government having promised $30 million to help construct the centre, early estimates suggest that the replacement could cost anywhere between $65 million and $83 million, leaving more than half of the costs to be covered by the Council.

North Parramatta Residents Action Group (NPRAG) Vice President Dr Stephen Brancatisano said the delay in the process was allowing for more “slippage”.

Dr Brancatisano told the Parramatta Advertiser, “they’re deferring for three months now.

“It’s already going to be four or five years until we get a pool, but now we have to wait longer. This is going to force slippage to the rest of the timeline.”

Not favouring any of the options tabled, Dr Brancatisano urged the Council to seek a larger funding commitment from the NSW Government, adding “NPRAG encourages Lord Mayor Andrew Wilson to demand the State Government fund the entire new aquatic centre for Parramatta to replace the one they took from ratepayers, so we are not left waiting four increasingly hot summers to swim again.”

Image: The now demolished Parramatta War Memorial Pool. 

16th November 2017 - COMMUNITY FEEDBACK SOUGHT ON PLANNED NEW PARRAMATTA NEW AQUATIC CENTRE

25th September 2017 - CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON NEW WESTERN SYDNEY STADIUM

6th September 2017 - FUTURE OF FIVE SYDNEY AQUATIC CENTRES TO FEATURE IN COUNCIL BALLOT

5th July 2017 - NEW PARRAMATTA POOL UNLIKELY TO OPEN BEFORE 2020

31st March 2017 - NSW GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES $30 MILLION FUNDING COMMITMENT FOR NEW PARRAMATTA POOL 

1st March 2017 - PARRAMATTA STADIUM DEMOLITION MAKES WAY FOR NEW WESTERN SYDNEY STADIUM

20th January 2017 - PARRAMATTA COUNCIL FACES FUTURE WITHOUT YEAR-ROUND SWIMMING POOL PROVISION 

22nd June 2016 - FORMER GOLF CLUB TO BE REDEVELOPED AS SITE FOR NEW PARRAMATTA AQUATIC CENTRE