With Councillor admitting ‘no swimming pool in Perth makes money’ City of Bayswater commits to aquatic centre upgrade

The City of Bayswater is to borrow more money to ensure its Bayswater Waves aquatic does not “rot” or close down.

Councillors voted 9-1 at a meeting last month to endorse an $8.5 million concept plan for the 23-year-old aquatic facility, which will see its refurbishment happen in two stages.

As reported by Perth's Eastern Reporter newspaper, the upgrades will a refurbishment of the facility’s 25 metre pool, pool hall and plant room, with stage one to include urgent roof repairs, sustainability improvements, lighting upgrades and compliance improvements.

Funding for stage two, which includes the refurbishments of the entry, group fitness area, ground floor changerooms, childcare toilet and general structural repairs, will be considered as part of a long-term financial plan review.

The Council will be looking at borrowing funds or grants to pay for unfunded portions of both stages.

Commenting on the future of the facility, Councillor Lorna Clarke said councillors had a choice - vote to fund the redevelopment or close the centre, commenting “one of the things I found most disappointing when I really got into the books was that we didn’t seem to have enough money put aside 30 years ago to refurbish ageing assets.

“If we decide as a council that we are not going to fund this, let’s not go backwards and forwards like how we did on Maylands Waterland; let’s either fix up a swimming pool and find the money, whether it’s through Federal or State grants or from loans which we watch very carefully, or we close it.

“People love going to Bayswater Waves, it is an institution.”

Councillor Sally Palmer said there was no swimming pool in Perth that made money and if the City did not refurbish the centre now, it would leave it to “rot”.

Bayswater Mayor Dan Bull said the remaining refurbishment works had been combined so they could be completed within two to three years.

However, Councillor Elli Petersen-Pik, who voted against, said it was a great facility but he had concerns about not being able to pay back borrowed funds.

He noted “my concerns are beyond the interest rate that we will need to pay eventually that might amount to a significant number.

“We don’t know what the future holds, especially not in this current uncertain economic climate.

“I call on the State Government to assist us in funding this project, which many, many of our residents enjoy.”

Images: Bayswater Waves Aquatic Centre. Credit: City of Bayswater.