City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters awards contract for Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre Redevelopment
20/03/2024
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters has advanced its plans for the redevelopment of the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre, awarding the construction contract to South Australian-based Badge Constructions SA.
The project - which is estimated to cost $60 million - is the biggest investment in the City’s infrastructure.
Mayor Robert Bria said the Council is excited to be working with a national construction company and on-site work has already begun, with 100 FTE jobs created during construction.
“The Council is delivering what we have long committed to the people of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters – a brand new, significantly improved Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre.”
“The Council understands the historical, cultural and social significance of this facility and is proud that our community will have a magnificent state-of-the-art facility in its own backyard.”
“The local community, swimming clubs, schools and regular users have been waiting patiently for the redevelopment of this much-loved facility and they will not be disappointed with the final product."
“The Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre will be the pinnacle of aquatic leisure centres, promoting health, well-being and recreational opportunities, as well as providing thousands of children with the life-saving skill of learning to swim,” Mayor Bria said.
The Payneham Swimming Club was first opened in 1968 by the former Payneham Council and, despite several repairs and plant replacement over the years, it has reached the end of its useful life and is in need of significant investment.
“For this facility to stay open it needed a significant investment and that is exactly what Council is committed to. In short, the days spending money on patch-up jobs at the pool are over,” he said.
The Centre’s design has been shaped by extensive community and stakeholder consultation. The Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre Redevelopment will include:
- a 10 lane, 50 metre outdoor pool;
- an 8 lane, 25 metre indoor pool;
- an 11 x 20 metre indoor learner’s pool;
- a 14 metre tall tower with two waterslides;
- a zero-depth waterplay area;
- multiple male, female and unisex all-access changerooms with showers, toilets and lockers;
- multipurpose meeting rooms; and
- shade shelters and picnic seating.
Each pool will have an all-access entry via a ramp or lift, and aquatic wheelchairs will be available for public use.
Badge Constructions is an award-winning builder renowned for its expertise in similar community-focused sport and recreation projects, including the Scotch College Wellbeing and Sports Centre in Torrens Park and the Wulanda Community Centre in Mount Gambier.
“The decision to award the contract is extremely exciting and I would like to thank the community for their patience while we have undertaken this significant body of work to ensure that the project is a success."
The Centre's funding includes a $5.6 million grant from the State Government’s Local Government Infrastructure Partnership Program.
Acknowledging that the cost of the build had escalated significantly since it was first announced by the Council, Mayor Bria said the economic landscape, most notably interest rates, inflation and skill shortages and supply chain issues, has had serious knock-on effects to the nation’s construction industry.
“Notwithstanding this, in making this decision the Council commissioned an independent Prudential Report which included a detailed review of the potential impacts of this project and its ongoing financial sustainability. The Council is satisfied that it will be able to meet its financial obligations and continue its financial sustainability without unnecessary impact on our ratepayers.”
For more information about the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre and to see the concept images, visit: Major Projects
