Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In a week where we saw former Australian Olympic champion Ian Thorpe return to the Adelaide pool where his career started, I am pleased to raise the important issue of aquatic centres in my electorate of Swan. Australia has a proud tradition in this Olympic sport, with Australian swimmers credited with pioneering the freestyle discipline. Our culture is perhaps best expressed by the millions of Australians who swim for fun and fitness every week in our swimming pools. I am pleased to announce that I have started a campaign to see a public aquatic facility within the City of South Perth area. This week, in the community news edition for the City of South Perth, Tristan Lavalette wrote that Manning ward councillor Travis Burrows said he believed the George Burnett Leisure Centre could be suitable for an aquatic centre. He said that the leisure centre is set to be expanded under the Manning community hub proposal and an aquatic centre would be based there. The facility is lacking, particularly in the Manning area, and I think it would benefit the local community enormously. The local councillor obviously has some vision and understands what his community needs.

Most of the councils in my electorate provide their ratepayers with public aquatic facilities. The City of Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre is located next to the council chambers in Cloverdale and the town of Victoria Park runs the highly regarded Aqualife Centre, which opened in 2006. The City of Canning is currently constructing a Leisureplex in Queens Park with bipartisan federal support of $7 million, which I am pleased both parties committed to at the last federal election. I imagine many of my constituents in Beckenham and Langford will use this facility when it opens, due in part to it being closer than the City of Gosnells facility.

Many residents, particularly in the Manning, Como and Salter Point area have contacted me about the issue of an aquatic centre. They say they would value having access to a local public aquatic facility. The only one locally in the South Perth area is at Wesley College, but it is not available during the day because the school is open. I happen to agree with the residents that they are missing out on the benefits that the facilities would provide, and it is certainly somewhat of an anomaly that such a well-established area does not have such a facility.

As for the location, I did suggest that the aquatic centre could be coupled with the George Burnett Leisure Centre in Karawara. This would be right in the heart of the Waterford, Karawara, Manning, Salter Point and Como communities; however, the council may have better options available. But there is a higher level of aged care people in that area, so it would make it easier for them to travel instead of having to go to other community centres.

I look forward to keeping the House informed of the progress of this campaign and, hopefully, one day the people of the City of South Perth will have access to a terrific local public aquatic facility.