Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre outdoor pool upgrades

The City of Stirling has awarded the contract for upgrades to the Stirling Leisure Centres – Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre – Inglewood to Balcatta-based Commercial Aquatics Australia (CAA).

This will involve a complete replacement of the current outdoor diving and eight-lane pools with one state-of-the-art L-shaped, heated 50m pool – made up of an extended 10-lane 50m and four-lane 25m pool space – and plant room upgrades. The unique design is based on the highly successful Scarborough Beach Pool configuration.

The upgrades will also include the installation of a submersible swim wall and an accessible ramp, new filtration and disinfection systems, new outdoor seating and decking, outdoor shower area and landscaping, new LED lighting, water polo features and retiling of the separate learner’s pool area.

The project will respond to increasing community demands and enable the centre’s aquatic attendance to grow from approximately 250,000 visitations (outdoor pool only) to 330,000 visitations annually. Total centre attendance is projected increase to more than 700,000 visitations annually.

Works will require closure of the outdoor pool area from Monday 11 July, with the expected reopening in November 2023.

Mayor Mark Irwin said the total project cost is estimated at $9.7 million, including a $1 million State Government grant from the Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund.

“The City of Stirling is excited to be proceeding with this much-needed investment in the Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre, with the outdoor pool having reached the end of its 50-year life,” he said.

“The centre was originally built in 1967 as a series of outdoor pools and has only undergone one major refurbishment in 2001 to incorporate an indoor pool and plant facilities, health and fitness centre, and supporting amenities such as a crèche and changing room facilities.

“The new state-of-the-art L-shaped 50m pool configuration will allow for all levels of water polo sport including senior and junior games. The new design enables multifunctional and multi-divisible usages, and has improved access for all, including lane swimmers and other aquatic sports simultaneously.

“As a City focused not only on making sure that our facilities are up-to-date and well maintained, but also that they are accessible to all in our community, we are particularly excited that an accessible ramp will be installed.

“The behind-the-scenes upgrades are also important, as the switch from chlorine to salt water electrolytic cell chlorination is gentler on people’s eyes and skin, and more economical to maintain.”

During the closure of the outdoor pool area to enable demolition and construction, members will receive access to the aquatic facilities at Leisurepark Balga and Scarborough Beach Pool, and the recently refurbished internal pools will remain open. Alternatively, customers will be able to suspend or alter their membership for no fee for the duration of the closure.

Refurbishment of the indoor pool area was completed in April 2022, including a full concourse retiling, condensing indoor pool boilers, installation of a salt electro-chlorination indoor pool disinfection system, relining and retiling of the 25m pool, and new painting and lighting. These works were funded by the Federal Government Local Road and Community Infrastructure Program (LRCI).

Background
The current 50m pool accommodates a range of users including Learn To Swim participants, recreational swimmers, two triathlon clubs, two swim squads, one water polo club, a range of recreational users including underwater rugby, diving groups and integrated health providers, and a range of casual users.

The Education Department provides both vacation and in-term swimming classes at Terry Tyzack Aquatic Centre from October to March each summer season, only interrupted by 15 days of school swimming carnivals held annually at the facility.

The City currently holds junior water polo programs in the dive pool which is not to the State Sporting Association’s size requirements. Water Polo WA and two water polo clubs have expressed a desire to expand programs and competitions at the centre, although this is currently limited by aquatic space sizes and availability.