TRC plans for new aquatic centre

Step closer to aquatics facility construction start

A key step towards construction starting on Tamworth’s proposed Aquatic, Education and Health Centre of Excellence will be taken at next Tuesday’s Ordinary Meeting.

A report to Councillors in the closed part of the meeting will seek to commit working with a specialist construction company for an Early Contractor Involvement contract for stage 1 of the facility, which has a total budget of $45 million. It is funded through $15 million from the NSW Government, $9 million from the Australian Government and a $21 million Council contribution.

The facility’s first stage will be built at the Tamworth Sports and Entertainment Precinct on Jack Smyth Drive opposite the Sports Dome. Tamworth Region Mayor Russell Webb said using an Early Contractor Involvement project delivery approach will minimise Council’s financial risk for the project. “It is a proven method in getting a high degree of confidence in project affordability as the engaged contractor is required to work with Council and other engaged consultants to finalise the project scope before committing to a Design and Construct Contract,” he said.

“Council will be able to provide its funding partners with important construction industry insights to assure them the project is guided by experts with understanding of current market conditions. The contractor will provide technical advice about buildability, construction methods, cost planning and value engineering to ensure the design is practical, efficient and aligns with the budget as well as the expectations of Council, stakeholders and the local community. These are all critical factors for successful project delivery.”

The Mayor said five years of solid planning and design work has already gone into the facility to bring this proposal to reality for the community. “Council’s project team has undertaken extensive work to investigate best industry practice to limit the construction cost while maximising the functionality and use of the available budget,” he said.

While Council will not break ground on the construction until early next year, the project is already an award winner – it won the Strategic and Master Planning Category at the NSW/ACT Parks and Leisure Australia Awards. It is now in the running for a national award in November.

Construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed in mid-2027 to align with the funding agreements with the NSW Government and the Australian Government.