Swimmers ready to dive into new season as City of Newcastle continues its investment in public pools

City of Newcastle (CN) is ready to welcome swimmers back to its public pools after undertaking a significant program of improvements over the Winter break.

Lambton Swimming Centre will be the first to reopen its doors for the traditional early swimming season on Monday 21 August, while the pools at Stockton, Mayfield, Wallsend and Beresfield will be back in action during the September school holidays.

Swimmers will be greeted with refreshed and upgraded facilities, with works completed across all five swimming centres during the closure period including safety upgrades, extensive re-painting, and maintenance of the pool tiles and promenades.

Visitors to Lambton will notice significant progress on the construction of a new grandstand, which is expected to be completed by November, while three smaller grandstands have been installed adjacent to the diving pool.

Permanent tiered seating structures have also gone in at Mayfield, Stockton and Wallsend Swimming Centres, giving schools, sporting groups and spectators more shaded seating options when those facilities reopen next month.

A range of other works have also been delivered across the facilities to enhance the comfort, safety and enjoyment of our community both in and out of the water, including pump replacements for improved water quality, new lane ropes, upgraded play equipment at Beresfield and a new shade sail over the playground at Mayfield Swimming Centre.

City of Newcastle Executive Manager Community and Recreation Lynn Duffy said City of Newcastle maximised the period during Winter that the pools were closed as part of its commitment under our Inland Pools Strategy 2043.

"City of Newcastle has invested more than $5 million upgrading and $2 million maintaining the city's public pool network during the past few years to ensure they continue to meet the expectations and evolving needs of more than 320,000 people who visit them each year," Ms Duffy said.

"Our team has completed an extensive program of capital and maintenance works during the past few months to ensure the comfort, safety and enjoyment of our community when they visit these valued community facilities."

Ms Duffy said the pools would continue to be operated by BlueFit while new lease arrangements are finalised. City of Newcastle is currently preparing a report for the Minister for Local Government following the recent public notice of the proposed lease.

"In the meantime, City of Newcastle has granted an extension of the current lease with BlueFit to ensure these important community assets can open for the upcoming swimming season. BlueFit will also provide day-to-day management of Beresfield Swimming Centre as it is included in the tender that has been awarded," Ms Duffy said.