Lap swimmers will enjoy extended opening hours when the City of Greater Geelong reopens Kardinia Aquatic Centre.
Outdoor swimming pools are allowed to conditionally operate from next week, under the ‘Second Step’ of the Victorian Government’s roadmap to reopening.
The City will reopen the 50-metre FINA outdoor pool in South Geelong for lap swimming from Friday 18 September.
Swimmers will need to make an advance booking, with no walk-up entry permitted.
Bookings will be available from mid-next week.
Visitors will have the option of paying a casual entry fee or purchasing a special multi-visit card to enjoy a 45-minute session.
All suspended Swim, Sport & Leisure memberships, including Webstar’s Swim School membership, will remain on hold and no membership debits will be taken.
The facility will need to operate under conditions that adhere to the Government’s ‘Second Step’ directions, which are yet to be released.
Kardinia Aquatic Centre is typically open from October to April.
Acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 restrictions, Council decided to open the facility outside of its regular season from 5 June.
It was a popular move, with the centre attracting the highest level of occupancy of all the City’s pools from June through to August.
The Council provided a further $300,000 in a COVID-19 support package to allow the facility to stay open throughout July, August and September.
However, the centre had to shut when the Government introduced Stage 3 ‘Stay at Home’ restrictions for regional Victoria in early August.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher
Opening Kardinia Aquatic Centre earlier than normal was a huge success during winter, and we’re glad that we have the chance to allow dedicated swimmers to again use the venue. Keeping active is vital for not only your physical health but also your mental wellbeing, so the easing of restrictions in this area is welcome.
As regional case numbers trend down, we’re optimistically preparing to move into the ‘Third Step’. This will allow for community sport and other outdoor activities to resume, as well as more businesses and facilities across the region to resume operations.
