Get the appMoonee Valley City Council is working to make swimming in local rivers and waterways a reality by 2050. The goal includes safe swimming in the Maribyrnong River and after-work dips in the Yarra River, also known as Birrarung.
Lifeguards will return to Lake Parramatta this weekend as the summer swimming season opens in Western Sydney. Patrols will run on weekends until 29 November, then daily from that date. City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cameron MacLean urged swimmers to stay within the designated area and keep children close. A solar-powered buoy named Sunny measures water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen, and helps detect blue-green algae. Visitors can check water quality on the council website before swimming.
Young swimmers from across Queensland will compete at the Beef City Swimming Carnival this weekend at the 2nd World War Memorial Pool, Rockhampton. Rockhampton Regional Council is backing the event, hosted by Caribeae Swimming Club, with a $4,500 sponsorship through its Community Assistance Program. Councillor Cherie Rutherford said such carnivals help athletes build confidence, learn from peers and gain pathways to national and international competition, while also boosting local visitor spending. Competitors aged eight and over will race across all strokes and medley events, and the fastest will contest the David Milburn Top Gun event.
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Get the appConstruction 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.
Ten-year-old Ivy Belcastro, from Glenmore Park, has qualified to compete at the 2026 National Swimming Championships in Melbourne next month. She will swim in the Multi Class category for New South Wales. Ivy was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child and was told she may never walk, but she took her first steps at age two. She has broken three records at the recent NSW PSSA Swimming Championships. Her family and friends plan to travel to Melbourne to watch her compete.
The Molong Marlins community swimming club has launched a summer sponsorship program to help local children from families facing financial hardship take part in swimming. Backers are being sought to fund $250 sponsorships, and assistance will be kept confidential. Club president Kane Bird said the program lets children swim, stay active and spend time with friends without a financial burden on their families. About 100 swimmers aged five to 17 take part, including in weekly Saturday carnivals against neighbouring clubs. Training starts on Monday 2 November, with registration fees expected to be $120.
Four Melbourne councils and Melbourne Water are pushing to make the Yarra River swimmable by 2050. City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said cities such as Paris, Berlin and Copenhagen have cleaned up their waterways. He described the project as at least a 10-year task requiring upgraded water infrastructure and filtration. The river is currently affected by animal faecal matter, litter and petrochemicals. The project has not yet been costed, and designated swimming zones are planned once restoration measures are in place.
The Hay Amateur Swimming Club will launch its 2026/27 season with a Pointscore and Come and Try night. The event starts at 6pm on Tuesday, October 20, at the John Houston Memorial Pool. Golf and tennis results are also featured in this local sports wrap.
The shark barrier at Cottesloe Beach has been installed after stormy weather delayed the work. Installation began on Monday and was completed on Wednesday. The barrier is 170 metres long, extends 140 metres out from the shoreline along the groyne, and will stay in place until the end of April. The Town of Cottesloe spends $120,000 a year on the barrier. Mayor Melissa Harkins said it is part of the town's commitment to community safety. The work comes amid increased shark activity around Perth beaches and a recent fatal attack at Sorrento Beach.
North Sydney Council has endorsed the re-establishment of North Sydney Swimming Club, which will provide a representative pathway for swimmers from the Olympic Pool. Council has also expressed serious concern over the potential withdrawal of $9.3 million in committed funding for Hume Street Park Stage 2 in Crows Nest, and will write to Premier Chris Minns seeking assurance. Public exhibition of two Ilbery Reserve Playground concept designs runs from 26 October to 22 November 2026. Council also backed keeping defence land, including land at HMAS Penguin, in public hands.
A shark net is going in at Quinns Beach this week ahead of summer, and local lifesavers say it will reassure parents of children learning to swim. Mike Spiby, a surf and ski coach at Quinns Mindarie Surf Life Saving Club, said the barrier would bring confidence to the club's 700 Nippers. He said the community felt deeply affected by a recent fatal shark attack at Sorrento. Residents who watched contractors roll out the net on Tuesday said it made the beach feel safer for families.
Around 50 students from Bass Coast Specialist School and South Gippsland Specialist School took part in their third annual joint swimming carnival on Tuesday, October 13. The event was held at the Bass Coast Aquatic and Leisure Centre. Students swam using modified strokes, took part in a two-person relay, and finished the day with a teacher-versus-student race. Staff said the event aimed to be inclusive and give every student a sense of achievement, regardless of ability. After the carnival, both groups were due to attend a barbecue at Bass Coast Specialist School.
A 22-year-old Japanese tourist has died at Millaa Millaa Falls, south-west of Cairns in Far North Queensland. Police said he was with a group at the waterfall when he failed to resurface from the water. Emergency services were called about 3pm on Monday and recovered his body about two hours later. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. Nearby caravan park operator Andrew Broadbent described the falls as a shallow waterfall that hundreds of people swim in, and said recent conditions had been dry.
A 79-year-old Geelong man, Bob Belle, has thanked the lifeguard and paramedics who saved his life after he suffered cardiac arrest twice while swimming. Mr Belle had cardiac arrests in 2023 and in June this year, both at Kardinia Aquatic Centre. Lifeguard Deb Seller began chest compressions and used a defibrillator before paramedics arrived in both incidents. The pair met at the centre on 12 October to promote CPR and defibrillators during Ambulance Victoria's Shocktober campaign.
Murrumbidgee Irrigation is urging people to stay out of its irrigation channels this summer and use public pools instead. Maintenance crews have pulled shopping trolleys, cars, broken glass and a prosthetic leg from the water. Automated gates can open or close without warning, causing sudden surges, strong currents and powerful suction. Maintenance manager Adam Valance and chief executive Philip Holliday say channels that look calm can quickly become dangerous. The organisation advises swimmers to avoid fast-flowing water, watch for submerged objects, and never swim alone.
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Get the appThe Bellingen and Dorrigo swim centres reopened on Monday, 28 September, for the 2026-27 summer season. Both offer casual entry, season passes, swimming lessons, squad training and aqua-fit classes. Community Aquatics pool contract manager Brad Paterson said both centres had lane markings refreshed and pool furniture updated. The centres are recruiting learn-to-swim instructors, with free training courses in October and November. Bellingen Shire Mayor Steve Allan said the Bellingen centre will open for the full season after last year's delay caused by work at the Connell Park Sporting Precinct.
Lani Pallister has beaten swimming legend Katie Ledecky in the 800m freestyle and is now aiming for Olympic gold. The 24-year-old Australian swimmer, who initially focused on butterfly events, discovered her talent for distance swimming after a program mix-up. Pallister won gold in three events at the Commonwealth Games and recently claimed victory over Ledecky at the Pan Pacific Championships. She is now preparing for the 2026 World Aquatic Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Swimmers have returned to Sorrento Beach in Western Australia, a month after a shark attack killed a local man. The Sorrento Slugs, a group of regular swimmers, say the attack has made them feel more vulnerable. They have swum at the same spot for 40 years, near where Greg O’Neill was taken by a shark. The group says they would not use a new swimming enclosure if one were built, as they did not use the previous one. They believe the beach was previously safe, but that sense of security has now gone.
Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool has opened for its 2026/27 season, running daily from 6 am to 8 pm until 30 April. Perched above Woolloomooloo Bay, the harbourside pool has long been a popular gathering place for Sydney's queer community. Wett Ones, an LGBTIQ+ swimming club, runs a summer Sunday morning squad there from 8.30 am. Entry costs $8 for adults, with a family of four paying $19.80. The City of Sydney has also launched a free LGBTQIA+ exercise and social club at Cook + Phillip Park Pool, starting Saturday 26 September from 10 am.