A 62-year-old man from Caroline Springs has been charged after an alleged incident in a change room at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre on Sunday 25 October. Police allege he used a recording device to film several people in a change room cubicle around 11.10am. He faces charges of producing child abuse material and producing intimate images. Brimbank council says it has terminated his membership and banned him from all council leisure centres. He is bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on 23 March 2027.
Construction has finished on the new George Town Aquatic Centre on Tasmania's north coast, and it will open to the public in the coming weeks. The facility includes a heated indoor 25-metre pool, a warm-water program pool, a gymnasium, fitness room, allied health suites and a cafe. Federal and Tasmanian governments and George Town Council funded the project. The centre will offer swimming, learn-to-swim programs, warm water therapy, fitness activities and health services. Federal Minister Catherine King said the project would provide year-round access to aquatic health facilities.
Parramatta Aquatic Centre's health club has been named Health Club of the Year at the NSW Aquatic & Recreation Institute Awards. The award recognises its inclusive fitness programmes, member experience and commitment to community wellbeing. The club offers Reformer Pilates, yoga, aqua fitness, cycling, boxing, Les Mills classes, personal training and programmes for older residents. City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cameron MacLean said the award reflected the team's efforts to make the facility welcoming. The centre has now recorded three ARI wins across the 2024 and 2025 awards.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Maranoa Council has adopted an Employee Volunteering Policy that lets eligible staff volunteer during working hours. Council has also set entry fees for the Denise Spencer Aquatic Centre, which opens in seven weeks. Adult entry will be $5, child and concession entry $3, and a family casual pass $14.50. Council gave in-principle support to a Housing Activation Reserve, which would reinvest property sale or development proceeds into housing. It also approved a Club-funded refurbishment of the Members Bar at Bassett Park.
Kensington Community Aquatic and Recreation Centre marked one year since reopening with a community birthday event on Saturday, October 17. Hundreds of locals attended activities including free fitness classes, a pool party and $2 coffees. Since opening in October 2025, the centre has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors and helped 140 people learn to swim for free. Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the centre had quickly become part of local life. The centre was also named Community Facility of the Year by Parks and Leisure Australia.
Maranoa Regional Council has adopted a three-tiered pricing structure for the new Denise Spencer Aquatic Centre. Options include casual entry, 10-visit passes and annual memberships. Mayor Wendy Taylor said the council wanted the facility to be accessible to the whole community. She said the centre will not recover its full operating costs through entry fees alone. The centre officially opens on Saturday, 12 December 2026, with a community celebration and family activities.
The team designing a proposed Canberra stadium says the facility could enhance Commonwealth Park, including the Canberra Aquatic Centre and Floriade. Canberra Airport has appointed global firm Populous to develop plans for the covered, all-events stadium, which would seat 25,000 to 36,000 people on church land at Regatta Place. Populous architect Al Baxter said there may be room to keep a pool beside the stadium, and that this must still be tested. Airport boss Stephen Byron said a few beds of Floriade on the eastern edge would be affected.
A new indoor splash park is being finished at the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre and is due to open early next year. The park is now tiled and includes two slides, water fountains and jets, and accessible play zones for young children of all abilities. Surf Coast Shire Council mayor Libby Stapleton called the milestone exciting. The tiles and equipment colours were chosen with Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to reflect coastal features of Wadawurrung Country.
The Glenorchy War Memorial Pool has reopened following a $7.5 million refurbishment. Mayor Sue Hickey said the pool had been closed for repairs over the past three summers. The works repaired and repainted the pool shell, upgraded pipes, electrical and chemical dosing systems, and added an accessible entry ramp. Change rooms and bathrooms were also upgraded to be fully accessible. Hickey said the council will keep seeking support for a new aquatic centre, as the existing facility is more than 60 years old.
Hobart City Council has moved to ban smart glasses at the Aquatic Centre, which it runs, under its conditions of entry. Council representative Ben Artup told Hobart Breakfast host Ryk Goddard that the council has acted after receiving many responses from the community and others about AI glasses at the centre. Artup also addressed how the ban will work and whether there will be any exemptions.
The 50-metre outdoor pool at Drysdale's Linda McGill Aquatic Centre will reopen on Monday 19 October. It closed in April while new indoor pools and recreation facilities are built. During October, the pool will open with reduced hours, from 6am to 10am on weekdays and 8am to noon on Saturdays. Visitors must use a temporary entrance. Aqua aerobics classes resume in November. The indoor facility is due to open in the middle of next year.
Pool supporters say a proposed new stadium at Regatta Place should not overshadow plans for the Canberra Aquatic Centre in Commonwealth Park. The stadium proposal comes from a consortium led by Canberra Airport. Friends of Canberra Olympic Pool president Terry Slevin says the aquatic centre already has land and $138 million allocated. He says whether the two facilities can share the site is a technical question for Infrastructure Canberra. The Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn says no decision has been made to sell Archbishop's House.
Torquay’s new indoor splash park, featuring two waterslides and a network of fountains, is ready for the Wurdi Baierr Aquatic and Recreation Centre’s opening early next year. The design, inspired by Wadawurrung Country, includes accessible play zones for children of all abilities. The centre, more than 85 per cent complete, also includes a 25m pool, warm water pool, gym, and a 490kW rooftop solar system to reduce energy use.
