The proposed City of Gosnells Sutherlands Park Leisure, Aquatic and Sports Hub (SPLASH) has now received more than 4,000 letters of support – and Mayor Terresa Lynes is urgently calling on the Federal Government to help fund the lifesaving facility.
The urgent request to support the project comes in the wake of a recent Royal Life Saving Australia report, which revealed an alarming number of children do not meet the national benchmarks for swimming and water safety – a result, according to the report, of pool closures and missed lessons that leave certain communities ‘extremely vulnerable’.
The 2025 Children’s Swimming and Water Safety Skills – Teacher and Parent Perceptions report estimates that close to 50 per cent of Australian children aged 11 to 12 years could not swim 50m or tread water for two minutes, which is the national benchmark for this age group. This is just one of several concerning findings.
According to the report, urgent action is needed to improve access to swimming and water safety education, particularly for disadvantaged and at-risk groups
“It is concerning to hear that many children of all ages can’t swim to benchmark levels,” Mayor Lynes said.
“This is a problem for all of Australia, but particularly for the City of Gosnells – which is one of the most diverse local governments in the Perth metropolitan area.
“The City’s current aquatic facility, Leisure World, is at capacity in terms of being able to provide any additional support in this area. Building SPLASH will help bridge this gap, by providing more opportunities for families and local schools to participate in regular swimming lessons to get the education they need around water safety.”
Part of the greater Sutherlands Park Master Plan, the SPLASH design concept includes an eight-lane, 50m outdoor swimming pool, which the City currently does not have.
Other proposed features include an eight-lane, 25m indoor pool, a 20m indoor learn-to-swim pool, an indoor leisure pool and four multi-sport indoor courts with seating for more than 250 people.
“SPLASH is desperately needed for our community – and the support that has been shown so far is a testament to this,” Mayor Lynes said.
“Now, we are calling on the Federal Government to recognise how vital SPLASH is for our community and help us turn this vision into a reality.
“The City has committed $66 million toward the anticipated $132 million cost for the project and is seeking a minimum commitment of over $20 million from the Federal Government towards the remainder.
“Our hand is up for life-saving Federal Government support.”
For more information about SPLASH or to sign the City’s letter of support, click here.
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