Chance for last slide down iconic Lambton Swimming Centre attraction before replacement

Local children have the chance to take one more slide down the towering spiral waterslide at Lambton Swimming Centre before the iconic attraction is updated.

City of Newcastle has progressed plans to replace the 22-year-old enclosed raft waterslide, with the project awarded to Australian Waterslides & Leisure.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the 120m-long twisting waterslide will remain in operation until the end of the April school holidays, with work to commence on replacement once the Lambton Swimming Centre closes for winter.

"The existing waterslide will continue to operate throughout the remainder of the current season, ready for locals to enjoy the new waterslide when the pool reopens for the 2022/23 summer season," Cr Nelmes said.

Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said the waterslide has been a hit since its installation, with hundreds of people flocking to Lambton Swimming Centre during the school holidays to make a splash down the popular attraction.

“I encourage local kids, whose parents may have enjoyed climbing up the 9-metre-high tower to splash down the waterslide when it was originally installed in 2000, to take one more slide down the popular attraction before it is replaced," Cr Winney-Baartz said.

A like-for-like replacement of the waterslide will be installed at the site of the existing slide within Lambton Swimming Centre and the project will make use of the existing supporting infrastructure.

The Lambton Swimming Centre was developed as the City of Newcastle's (CN) first inland swimming pool and was opened in 1963. An average of 184,000 people visit the popular facility annually.

During the last winter closure period, annual maintenance was undertaken at Lambton Swimming Centre, which included painting and upkeep throughout the facility.

Elsewhere at City of Newcastle inland pools, new playgrounds were recently constructed at Wallsend Swimming Centre and Mayfield Swimming Centre, and a new accessible changeroom area was created at Mayfield Swimming Centre. Further exciting improvements for our local pools will be unveiled in the 2022/23 budget in April.