After six summers without a pool, the wait is almost over

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The new $88.6 million Parramatta Aquatic Centre is on track to open within months for hundreds of thousands of western Sydney residents who have sweated through six summers without a public pool.

As workers filled the centre’s four pools with 2.5 million litres of water, the City of Parramatta Council this month forged ahead with plans to recruit 150 staff before it opens in spring.

Lord Mayor Sameer Pandey said filling the four pools with water was a construction milestone. Credit: City of Parramatta Council

Lord Mayor Sameer Pandey said the pool, which is taking shape within the grounds of Parramatta Park near the CBD, would be a fantastic asset for the city’s fast-growing community.

“By the time the weather warms up, Parramatta will have a brand new place to cool down.

“Now we have the pools filled, we’re working hard to put in the finishing touches, complete landscaping and test operations,” Pandey said.

Once completed, the aquatic centre will feature a 10-lane, 50-metre outdoor pool, as well as a 25-metre pool, a learn-to-swim pool, and a water playground indoors. It will include a spa, steam and sauna facilities, a café, fitness centre, multipurpose community rooms, and onsite parking.

The circular design was inspired by farm and swimming enclosures along the Parramatta River.Credit: City of Parramatta Council

The long-awaited pool replaces the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre, built in 1959, which the former Coalition government razed in early 2017 for an improved Parramatta Stadium.

That decision sparked tensions between the state government and the City of Parramatta over who should pay for a replacement.

In 2019, following more than a year of negotiations, the state government said it would contribute $38.5 million, which would be managed by the council.

Parramatta MP Donna Davis, who isthe former mayor, said the new aquatic centre was an “exceptional recreational facility” that would meet the needs of the community now and into the future.

“I’m proud to have been involved every step of the way in the delivery of a project that will benefit people of all ages and abilities.”

The $88.6 million pool is scheduled to open before summer.Credit: City of Parramatta Council

NSW Sport Minister Steve Kamper said the pool would “cater for competition, learn to swim classes, recreation and relaxation” year-round.

Greens councillor Phil Bradley said earlier this year there was “still a bit of annoyance” in the community about the 1950s pool’s demolition.

“I think there’s a lot of nostalgia for the old pool. It was still quite a functional pool. But the additional facilities will serve the community well.”

The pool was designed by Grimshaw Architects, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall, and is being built by construction company Lipman.

According to the council, its distinctive ring-like design took inspiration from the history of farm and river swimming enclosures along the Parramatta River.

The sustainable design features include 358 rooftop solar panels which will generate about 273 megawatts per hour in energy savings annually; natural ventilation in the fitness centre instead of air-conditioning; three rain gardens; a rain tank for onsite irrigation; skylights to filter UV, maintain temperature and absorb sounds; LED lights; and sustainably harvested blackbutt timber.

The council said this month that recruitment was under way for more than 150 jobs across swim, gym and operational roles.

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