About the project

The Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool redevelopment will broaden the centre’s facilities to cater for additional all year-round demand for aquatic and leisure services by providing:

• More opportunities to improve physical and mental wellbeing, specifically through learn-to-swim and other programs.
• Improved user experience of the facilities.
• Enhanced community feel and connectedness while still enjoying the essential elements which contribute to the current swim centre’s character.
• A more sustainable facility with improved accessibility.

The centre is designed to complement GESAC and to ease the pressure on GESAC's learn to swim and warm water programming as demand has increased significantly due to growth in the municipality.

The new centre will remain within the footprint of the existing site. In keeping with the overarching Lord Reserve and Koornang Park Masterplan, the design will create more useable space and improved landscape areas.

In June 2021, Council adopted the detailed design for Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool redevelopment following a period of community engagement. Council also adopted plans to pursue a 6-Star Green Star Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) certification process for the new centre, in line with Council’s declaration of a climate emergency.

The design incorporates feedback from the last consultation phase in August 2020, where the community expressed the importance of retaining the essential elements of Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool​. We responded to this feedback by keeping the centre within its current footprint and including a red brick, timber, and concrete facade, which is a contemporary tribute to the mid-century design. We will keep the war memorial signage, the ‘grassy hill’ and lots of native landscaping and open space.

The detailed design for Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool​ includes:

• an outdoor 50-metre, eight-lane pool
• an outdoor diving pool
• an indoor warm water program pool and 25-metre learn-to-swim pool
• a concourse spa
• indoor sauna, steam room and accessible changerooms
• indoor program rooms
• a café
• outdoor children’s splash pad
• lawn areas and open spaces (including retention of the eastern mound)
• barbecues and shaded seating
• the retention of character and local charm.

Heritage Victoria nomination review

The project was put on hold in mid-2021 after a member of the community submitted a Victorian Heritage Register nomination for the Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool. Initially, the nomination was dismissed by Heritage Victoria, but the nominator appealed the decision, with the Heritage Council putting aside the previous determination by Heritage Victoria and directing the initiation of a formal assessment by way of a hearing.

The hearing was conducted by Heritage Council in May 2022, which was proceeded by a 90-day statutory period.

Council received a determination from Heritage Council on 11 August 2022, which did not find the centre to be of State-level heritage significance and that it should not be included in the Victorian Heritage Register. This brought the delay period of 12 months, in total, to a close.

During the period of delays, Council finalised the detailed plans in readiness for tender, obtained commitments of grant funding as a result of the recent Federal election, undertook a further review of the business case and completed an Expression of Interest process to test interest from the market regarding attracting a suitable, qualified builder.

Project update

The Request for Tender process for the head contractor is now complete and Council awarded the contract to ADCO Constructions Pty Ltd in late 2022. With nearly 50 years' of experience, ADCO is one of Australia's oldest and most established construction companies. Council is excited to partner with this industry leader on the project.

Construction commenced in early 2023 and is scheduled to conclude in late 2024.

A time lapse video of the early works can be viewed below.

Visit our Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool​ redevelopment page where you can learn more about the Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool​​. Discover the history of the redevelopment project and explore the artist's renderings, plans and other images. We will add more information during the construction phase, so be sure to check back for news and updates.

For further information, contact Council on 9524 3333 or email projects@gleneira.vic.gov.au