South Australian Government reveals site for new Adelaide Aquatic Centre

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed that the new aquatic and recreation facility planned to replace the ageing Adelaide Aquatic Centre will be built immediately to the south of the existing complex on park lands at North Adelaide.

The new $80 million taxpayer-funded centre will be constructed on the site of a current sports fielld in the south-western quadrant of Denise Norton Park/Pardipardinyilla near the corner of North Adelaide's Jeffcott Road and Barton Terrace West, with the current facility, run by Adelaide City Council, to be demolished and returned to park lands.

The announcement of the site to replace the existing 50-year-old Centre was made yesterday morning following a four-month public consultation undertake by the South Australian Government that attracted more than 900 submissions.

Three potential sites at Denise Norton Park were considered, on the south-western, south-eastern and north-eastern corners.

Premier Malinauskas said the south-western site was chosen because it would result in the least number of trees being felled to make way for the development, advising "we think this location makes a lot of sense.

“It wasn’t necessarily where I thought we would end up, which shows the value of a genuine community consultation exercise where locals can have a view in consultation with the experts to get a better outcome than just a politician making an arbitrary decision by looking at a map.”

He said the existing car park on the western end of the park would be retained, with the new centre to have the same footprint as the current facility once it opens by 2026.

South Australia's state election campaign saw Premier Malinauskas, then in oppostion to pledge to spend $80 million rebuilding the new Aquatic Centre, which is no longer considered fit for purpose and has several of its facilities including the diving boards and spas closed due to safety and infrastructure concerns.

The Adelaide City Council which previously lobbied for Federal and state government funds to rebuild the facility currently loses about $2.5 million each year running the centre, with approximately 80% of the 700,000 yearly users residing in other local government areas.

Premier Malinauskas said the existing facility would stay open while its replacement facility is built, adding "it’s a project that will cost in excess of $80 million and that’s from the state government and then we anticipate another contribution coming from the Adelaide City Council - potentially with the remediation of the existing site.

“But, in only a few short years’ time - all being well - we’re going to have a brand-new Adelaide Aquatic Centre in the centre of our city available for all South Australians to be used in an affordable way, to be engaged in a healthy exercise surrounded by beautiful park lands.”

The government has engaged JPE Design Studio and Warren and Mahoney Architects to design the new Aquatic Centre.

The South Australian Government is currently in contract negotiations with the Adelaide City Council for it to contribute up to $20 million towards the demolition and remediation of the current centre.

Adelaide Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said the Council welcomed the government’s site announcement as it would allow it to consider how the development would impact any existing infrastructure, stakeholders, users, future master planing, remediation and any financial contribution the council might make.

Imagex: The Adelaide Crows' 2019 concept for a new Adelaide Aquatic Centre (top) and the just announced site for the new Centre (below, credit: South Australian Government).