Southside Hydrotherapy Pool

Funding: $8.5 million allocated in the 2022-23 ACT Budget.

The ACT Government delivered the Southside Hydrotherapy Pool, located next to the Tuggeranong Lakeside Leisure Centre.

The pool offers a vital service for:

• people with mobility issues access to an important form of recreation
• people with chronic pain caused by illnesses such as cancer, migraine, osteoarthritis, and arthritis
• people recovering from injury or surgery.

ACT Health partnered with architecture firm GHD to design the facility. Community members advice was included in the project to deliver a modern facility that meets the needs now and in future.

Project update

Construction is complete and the hydrotherapy pool is open to the public from Monday 25 August.

The Lakeside Leisure Centre operates the pool. Bookings are available during the facility’s aquatic operating hours.

Booking information

Bookings are available in 1-hour sessions, with the following rates:

• General Admission: $15/hour
• Pensioners: $7.50/hour
• Concession: $10.50/hour.

Priority access is provided to not-for-profit organisations.

Full pool bookings are also available.

To book the pool, please contact the Lakeside Leisure Centre.

Bookings will be accepted prior to the official opening date.

Getting ready

Team members are undergoing trainings to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors.

Find more information on Lakeside Leisure Centre.

Consultation

ACT Health has consulted with hydrotherapy pool users, members of the community, professional health providers and user groups over the past three years. This has helped identify a preferred location, design principles for the centre and the design and arrangement of critical features and elements in the centre.

The contributions provided during the consultation has helped ensure the centre is accessible, safe and comfortable for the range of users and their needs.

To ensure the centre provides the full range of therapy, rehabilitation, exercise, and relaxation services required to support people who need and benefit from hydrotherapy, ACT Health has consulted with:

• Health Care Consumers Association of the ACT
• Arthritis ACT
• Spinal ACT
• Council on the Ageing (COTA)
• Disability Reference Group
• Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ACT)
• Australian Physiotherapy Association ACT Branch
• People with Disabilities ACT Inc
• ACT Mental Health Consumers Representative (Network)
• Canberra Health Network
• individual users
• disability groups and community groups.

In June 2023, ACT Health presented the proposed design to seek feedback on the final design.

Feedback has been incorporated into the final design and helped improve important features of the centre. This included providing two showers in the recess area adjacent to the pool, the accessible change room will be gender-inclusive, and additional seating around the pool.