FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
GIVES $15m FOR POOL
By TRACIE McPHERSON
04apr06
SOUTH Australia will finally have a world-class swimming facility, with the Federal Government to announce today a $15 million commitment to an Olympic-standard aquatic centre.
To be built adjacent to the Marion Shopping Centre, the $60 million South Australian Aquatic Centre is expected to help revive water sports participation across the state and return Adelaide to the national and international elite swimming circuit.
SA has been without an international-standard competition pool for more than a decade and is the only state without such a facility.
Finance and Administration Minister Senator Nick Minchin and Boothby MP Dr Andrew Southcott will release details of the project at a media conference today, opening the way for the State Government to follow with its promised equal share of funding.
Confirming the funding yesterday, Senator Minchin told The Advertiser the Federal Government would work with Marion Council to develop the project and was "pleased our provision of $15 million will enable this state-of-the-art swimming facility to proceed".
The council has committed the land and $5 million to the project and will seek the remaining funds from private industry.
The facility will replace the outdated Marion outdoor swimming centre and render almost redundant the run-down Adelaide Aquatic Centre at North Adelaide.
It will include a 10-lane, 50m competition pool, a diving and water polo pool, spectator seating and training, medical and media facilities.
It also will have recreational facilities, including a 100sq m wave pool, which also could be used for learn-to-swim programs and hydrotherapy.
SA's swimming participation rate is dramatically lower than the rest of the nation at just 10.3 per cent of the population. The national average is 15.3 per cent.
The state has had $3 per capita invested in aquatics facilities over the past decade, compared with $357 in the ACT, $177 in the Northern Territory, $103 in Victoria and $90 in New South Wales. SA has lost opportunities to host many events because of a lack of compliant facilities.
The new centre will meet the standards of swimming's international governing body, the Federation Internationale de Natation.
SA has not had a FINA-compliant aquatic facility since the early 1990s.
The centre will enable Adelaide again to host national and international swimming championships and provide a world-class training environment.
Local federal MP Dr Southcott said the project would provide a jobs boost for the southern suburbs.
"The expected 400 construction jobs will provide new opportunities in an area hit by downsizing at Mitsubishi and Port Stanvac," he said.
Confirmation of Federal Government funding for the project comes six years after Marion Council began discussions with the former state Liberal government to achieve a FINA-standard aquatic facility at the Marion Regional Centre. The current State Government has provided a written undertaking to provide $15 million if the Federal Government also supported the project.
The centre would be built on vacant land on the corner of Diagonal Rd and Morphett Rd, Marion, near Westfield Marion shopping centre.
In its funding submission to the Federal Government last year, Marion Council said the centre would provide a broad range of additional outcomes, including boosting tourism, employment, spending in the region and improved health and fitness among the ageing population.
This is going to help our bid to host the commonwealth games - tho thats only if we do bid for them & its going to Boast SA!
im excited!!
