Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre secures top award for its inclusivity and accessibility

The Hills Shire Council in north-western Sydney has advised that its Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre in Baulkham Hills has achieved national recognition for being one of the most inclusive and accessible community facilities in Australia.

The fitness and aquatic centre beat out 24 other nominations nationwide to secure the top spot in the Cohesive Communities Category at the National Awards for Local Government on Monday.

Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Peter Gangemi said he was proud to see The Hills Shire Council’s hard work reflected in this award win and shared “Waves is one of the highest quality aquatic facilities in the country, and our builders, designers, contractors and Council staff have done a fantastic job at creating a versatile centre that caters to all abilities.

“Waves has become a community focal point for families to swim and play, where friends can catch up over a coffee, and a training spot for our future Olympians and Paralympians to achieve ultimate success.”

General Manager of The Hills Shire Council, Michael Edgar said the redevelopment was a defining project for the organisation and added “this project says a lot about our organisation and the collective men and women who serve our residents. It also says a lot about the professionalism and ability of our builders and other project partners that made this project happen well within its allocated budget despite the wet weather, the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the supply chain disruptions that had to be overcome.

“This award is a fitting tribute to the facility and the people involved in making it happen.”

Waves opened in September 2022 after a complete knockdown and rebuild of the former facility by ADCO Constructions.

The new centre includes an outdoor FINA Standard Olympic-sized 50-metre pool with 10 lanes, a 25-metre outdoor training pool, an indoor 25-metre and family leisure pool, a 20-metre warm water program pool, a sauna, spa pool, steam room and 1000 square metre fitness centre.

There’s also an on-site café, water play area, outdoor fitness station, picnic tables, a children’s playground and much more.

ADCO Constructions said they were thrilled to have worked with Council in delivering this award-winning project for the community with ADCO Constructions Managing Director, Neil Harding noting “for over 50 years, ADCO has established a strong track record of consistently delivering first-class projects for our clients.

“Being an Australian, family-owned business, we have built our foundation on quality, trust, developing strong relationships with our clients and providing long-term benefits to the communities in which we operate.”

Image top: General Manager of The Hills Shire Council Michael Edgar, Waves staff, Council staff, Mayor Gangemi and ADCO staff Alex Hills (Contracts Administrator) and Elizabeth Creswell (NSW State Design Manager); image above: Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre Aerial. Credit: The Hills Shire Council