Victorian aquatic industry shows resilience through a challenging year

Noting that 2019/20 was a year marred by bushfires, poor air quality and a global pandemic, the third edition of the Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report, has shown that industry personnel have drawn on their resilience and skills to help each other, their communities and their stakeholders.

A collaboration between Life Saving Victoria (LSV) and Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV), the newly issued Report has set out to support a better understanding of the Victorian public pool landscape.

It notes that the year was “a time when industry personnel drew on the resilience and skills they had learned to help each other, their communities and their stakeholders.

“It will be a year remembered not just for the difficulties, but also for the way it brought the aquatic industry together (while staying apart) to find new and innovative solutions to how it delivers services to the community.

Key information within the Report advises:

• 288 Victorian council-owned pools.
• 280 additional Victorian public-access pools.
• More than 70 million visits to Victorian aquatic recreation facilities in a typical (non-COVID-19) year (Victorian Water Safety Assembly, 2016).
• More than 40,000 employees trained in water safety each year (Skills IQ, 2018).
• Delivers $8.5 billion to the Victorian economy each year - value of sport and recreation to the Victorian economy (Sport and Recreation Victoria, 2017).
• Delivers $1.8 billion annual direct economic benefit to the Victorian economy is provided by swimming (Swimming Australia, 2020).

Commenting on the year, LSV stated “every area of LSV was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the team have proven to be #InThisTogether through the development of a number of innovative solutions that kept the aquatic and recreation industry connected, informed and engaged.”

ARV added “while some annual ARV activities have either been rescheduled, pivoted or adapted, ARV’s focus over this period of 2020 has been to enable and lead industry engagement and advocacy activities within Victoria and nationally.

“As a peak Victorian industry body, our priority has been to represent our members and industry through important integrative functions including research, provision of advice to government and the sector, advocacy and representation to government and other decision-makers, information dissemination within the sector and to the community, industry consultation and coordination within the sector and industry capacity building.”

The report includes review and analysis of:

• Industry insights.
• An overview of the industry's size, scope and value.
• Analysis of industry safety performance and trends.
• An overview of sector projects, research and new initiatives.
• Details of key industry award and event winners.
• Insights into trends in public pool use by customers.
• Highlight the impacts of COVID-19 on the industry and community.
• New facilities developments.
• Industry profiles.

Click here to view the full Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report

Main image courtesy of Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre.