Parramatta’s new pool races past the halfway mark as name revealed

Parramatta’s new $88.6 million state-of the-art aquatic and leisure centre is fast approaching the finish line as construction races past the halfway mark.      Named Parramatta Aquatic Centre at Monday night’s Council meeting, the centre is rapidly taking shape, with indoor and outdoor pool sites excavated and over 9000 cubic metres of concrete poured. 

“The countdown is on until we open the doors of our fantastic new centre to the community,” City of Parramatta Lord Mayor Cr Donna Davis said.

“We know the people of Parramatta are eagerly-awaiting the opening, so we have around a hundred workers on site daily, working hard to deliver our new aquatic centre.

“This multifunctional centre will be a place where our community can exercise, learn to swim or simply have fun with family and friends all year around. I look forward to seeing it be enjoyed by our community for many years to come.”

Once complete, the centre will include a 10-lane, 50m outdoor pool; 25m indoor pool; indoor learn-to-swim pool; indoor water playground; spa, steam and sauna facilities; café; fitness centre; multipurpose community rooms; and parking spaces. Together the three pools will hold more than 2.5 million litres of water.

Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said: “We’ve worked hard with Parramatta Council to help deliver what is a great win for the community, they deserve a world class pool in this world class park.”

Member for Parramatta, Dr Geoff Lee said: “I’m excited that we are past the halfway mark in delivering a first-class facility, as we know the community can’t wait to get back into the water.”  

“This aquatic centre will be the envy of communities all over the State.  It will be a complex with versatility designed to meet the needs of Parramatta now and in the future for decades to come,” Dr Lee said. 

Designed by Grimshaw Architects, Andrew Burges Architects and McGregor Coxall, and built by construction company Lipman, the new aquatic centre will sit seamlessly in Parramatta Park’s lush surrounds. The centre’s roof will feature solar panels, generating around 273 Megawatts per hour in energy savings annually.

In a Council Meeting on Monday night, the facility’s name, Parramatta Aquatic Centre, was endorsed by Councillors. The Council also endorsed naming the 50m outdoor pool as the Memorial Pool in recognition of the former Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre.

The community is now invited to vote for the names of the centre’s program rooms and outdoor areas. The suggested names feature Dharug language with many inspired by nature, such as Barra Ngurang (Eel Room). The next round of consultation runs from 13-27 July. 

Community members can provide feedback by visiting Participate Parramatta. 

The project is being co-funded by Council and the NSW Government, which is investing $38.5 million from the Restart NSW Fund. It is anticipated to open in 2023.

Please visit Council's aquatic leisure centre page for more information.