NOOSA AQUATICS CENTRE UPGRADE PLAN AND NOOSA AQUATICS FACILITIES STRATEGIC PLAN · Attachment 2 Noosa Aquatic Facilities Strategic Plan 2026-2036

           Aquatic Facility Trends
           Best-practice aquatic facility management in Noosa must reflect local conditions (coastal climate, an ageing and active population) while anticipating national
           sector pressures. Broader industry research reveals the following trends and drivers relevant to this strategic plan.


                     Universal design                                            Network capacity and utilisation                           Community health

           There is a rapidly growing focus on ensuring that           Across Australia, many public aquatic centres are         National drowning-prevention goals support ongoing
           swimming pools are accessible and welcoming to              operating at or near capacity, with strong demand for     demand for learn-to-swim programs. Similarly, national
           all users. This includes the installation of assistive      lane space, learn-to-swim programs and aqua fitness.      and state physical activity targets keep the importance
           technologies such as pool hoists and lifts, ramps,          Limited pool space and facility congestion reduce         of regular exercise in focus.
           aquatic wheelchairs, provision of low sensory areas         opportunities for casual community use and restrict
           and change room features such as gender neutral             program expansion. This trend is consistent with
                                                                                                                                            Wellness
           amenities, adult and child change tables, grab rails and    current NAC operations, where high utilisation limits
           safety features.                                            flexibility in programming and community access. Best-
                                                                       practice facility planning now emphasises flexible pool   Pools are becoming ‘wellness hubs’, combining sport
                                                                       layouts, movable booms and network-based scheduling       with relaxation and wellness facilities such as saunas
                     Access and inclusion                                                                                        and steam rooms, hydrotherapy, treatment areas,
                                                                       to optimise utilisation and improve community access.
                                                                                                                                 healthy food options, water-based fitness classes,
           While accessibility has traditionally focused on physical                                                             rehabilitation exercises and other wellness-focused
           infrastructure, modern projects increasingly adopt                    Sustainable and healthy facilities              activities.
           holistic design approaches that cater to a broader range
           of users. Considering that 42.2% of Queenslanders over      Public pools are seeking to minimise their ecological
                                                                                                                                            Energy costs and labour shortages
           65 years of age have some form of disability, Noosa’s       footprint through:                                             $
           ageing population will bring an increased prevalence        » Water conservation
           of disability. By 2046, more than half of Noosa Shire                                                                 Escalating energy costs and ongoing labour shortages
                                                                       » Heat recovery                                           are emerging as major threats to pool sustainability
           residents will be aged 55 years or older.                   » Combined heat and power generation                      nationwide. The casual and transient nature of
                                                                       » Solar energy                                            aquatic industry staff, coupled with local cost of living
                     Brisbane 2032 Olympics and                        » LED lighting                                            pressures, present challenges in attracting and retaining
                     Paralympics                                       » Variable speed pumps                                    staff.
                                                                       » Passive house principles
           Southeast Queensland will host training camps               » Waste / plastic reduction
           and lead-up events. This presents opportunities to          » Protection from sun and rain - extensive shade                     Alternative aquatic opportunities
                                                                          structures                                                        through privately owned residential
           leverage Olympic legacy funding to support facility                                                                              pools and public waterways
           improvements.                                               » Reduced concentrations of by-products of chlorine
                                                                          disinfection, which result in improved air and water
                                                                          quality                                                Noosa has approximately 7,400 privately owned
                                                                                                                                 residential pools (22% of dwellings - above state [20%]
                                                                                                                                 and national [13%] averages) and easy access to nearby
                                                                                                                                 oceans and rivers. Many local resorts also offer facilities
                                                                                                                                 for recreational swimming. These factors impact local
                                                                                                                                 demand for access to built aquatic infrastructure.

20 | NOOSA SHIRE COUNCIL | AQUATIC FACILITIES STRATEGIC PLAN 2026-2036