NOOSA AQUATICS CENTRE UPGRADE PLAN AND NOOSA AQUATICS FACILITIES STRATEGIC PLAN · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                           6 OCTOBER 2026



Link to Corporate Plan
Theme No. 2 - Liveability
Objective 2.7 - Fund and deliver sustainable assets and facilities and associated services responding
to the changing needs of the community and the challenges and opportunities of the future.

Theme No.4 – Future
Objective 4.6 - Prepare and plan for the Olympics and Paralympics 2032 to leverage the
opportunities for our community leading up to 2032 and ensuring there is a legacy benefit beyond

Theme No.5 - Excellence
Objective 5.1 - Improve the customer experience to prioritise customers’ needs and outcomes
throughout the entire customer journey
Objective 5.9 - Ensure that all residents located throughout the Shire, both hinterland and coastal
areas, have equitable access to the provision of quality assets, facilities and services.




Previous Council Consideration
NIL


Finance
The staged delivery approach outlined in the Upgrade Plan enables investment to be prioritised over
time, aligned with external funding opportunities and integrated into future budget and capital works
planning. The Noosa Aquatic Centre continues to perform strongly, achieving controllable cost
recovery breakeven outcomes over the past two financial years, with the proposed upgrades
intended to support its long-term sustainability, functionality and resilience.

Importantly, endorsement of the Noosa Aquatic Facilities Strategic Plan and Noosa Aquatic Centre
Upgrade Plan does not commit Council to funding future capital works. Individual projects will be
progressively scoped, assessed and considered through future Annual Budget, Capital Works
Program and Long-Term Financial Planning processes, with delivery subject to feasibility
assessments, detailed design, approvals, funding availability and separate Council consideration.

The Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan identified that DoE community pools continue to play an
important role in providing local aquatic access and that existing support arrangements may require
review to reflect contemporary operating conditions. As part of implementing the Strategic Plan,
Council will continue to review these arrangements, with additional operational funding to be
considered through future budget processes.

A preliminary strategic level cost benefit assessment (CBA) undertaken during preparation of the
Strategic Plan identified positive economic and social returns associated with increased
participation, improved accessibility, enhanced community health and wellbeing outcomes, and the
long-term renewal of aquatic infrastructure. While the direct financial returns to Council do not offset
the full cost of the proposed upgrades, the analysis indicates that the broader community benefits
are substantial and that project viability improves significantly where external funding contributions
can be secured. Overall, the findings support the strategic value of investing in aquatic infrastructure
as a means of delivering long-term community, economic and wellbeing outcomes.
While the CBA provides a strategic assessment of the proposed upgrades, it does not replace
project-specific feasibility and financial analysis. As projects progress, further planning, design and
costing work will be undertaken to inform future investment decisions. The CBA will also support
future grant and funding applications, with Council continuing to pursue external funding and