Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...

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Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
2019/20

Victorian
Public Pools
State of the
Sector Report
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
About Life Saving Victoria (LSV)                                 About Aquatics & Recreation
Established in 2002, Life Saving Victoria (LSV) is an            Victoria (ARV)
initiative of the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia (RLSA)   Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV) is Victoria’s peak
Victoria Branch (est. 1904) and Surf Life Saving Victoria        industry body for aquatics and recreation.
(est. 1947) to prevent aquatic-related death and injury.
                                                                 ARV is a not-for-profit, member-based association providing
LSV’s vision is that all communities learn water safety,
                                                                 support, professional development, training, advocacy,
swimming and resuscitation, and enjoy safe beaches, water
                                                                 research and networking opportunities to those who plan,
environments and aquatic venues.
                                                                 build, own, operate or service aquatic and recreation facilities
Operating as a social enterprise, LSV is an independent          across Victoria.
company that is limited by guarantee, with more than 300
staff and 38,000 volunteer members. Together, LSV works          ARV positions itself to remain relevant and responsive to the
with communities, educational institutions, emergency            industry and partners it represents. It pursues a strategy of
service organisations, government, businesses and the            developing effective relationships with a range of partners
broader aquatic industry, across a range of operational          across the aquatic and recreation, commercial, health, local
activities and services including:                               government and state government sectors.

•   Seasonal beach lifesaving.                                   ARV facilitates industry development and advocacy,
•   Event lifesaving.                                            research opportunities, delivers aquatics services, conducts
•   Water safety education and campaigns.                        special projects and studies to provide key information on
                                                                 behalf of the industry. It works to provide guidelines and
•   Aquatic leadership and development.
                                                                 benchmarks in consultation with industry, the tertiary sector
•   Public aquatic and first aid training.
                                                                 and government. ARV’s key role is to develop effective
•   Aquatic risk assessments.                                    partnerships by bringing industry organisations together to
•   Multicultural water safety education.                        achieve a common goal.
•   Research and evaluation.

Acknowledgements                            Definitions
LSV and ARV gratefully acknowledge          Community Issue-based                         • Any pool where swimming lessons
the public pool representatives and         Working Group:                                    are being conducted (for the
government/industry agencies that           A stakeholder group formally engaged              duration of the lesson/s).
contribute to water safety across the       to address Victoria’s primary drowning        • Any swimming pool offering
Victorian public pool sector by:            prevention issues.                                access on a pay-per-usage basis is
                                            Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations               considered public for the duration of
• Contributing to industry committees
                                            (GSPO): Recommended minimum                       the pay-per-access usage.
    and working groups.
                                            safety standard for swimming pools.           Communal pool: A privately owned
• Attending industry conferences and
    events.                                 Platinum Pool: Pools that successfully        pool that is accessible by a group
                                            complete a series of annual                   of people and/or their customers.
• Adhering to industry guidelines.
                                            assessments and adhere to a strict            Communal pools include:
• Investing in staff training and           code of practice, accredited under
  professional development.                                                               • Apartment building pools.
                                            LSV’s Platinum Pool Program.
• Developing and/or supporting                                                            • Body corporate pools.
                                            Pool Safety Assessment: Auditing a
  industry resources.                                                                     • Hotel, motel and caravan park
                                            pool’s operational performance against
• Participating in and/or supporting                                                          pools.
                                            known industry standards, behaviours
  industry research and evaluation.         and expectations, specific to staff and       • Short and long-term serviced
                                            patron safety.                                    apartments.
                                            Public pool: Under the National Aquatic       • Airbnb and/or other Bed
                                            Facility Classification and Definition            and Breakfast commercial
                                            System the following facilities are               accommodation arrangements.
                                            considered public pools:                      Communal pools are referred to as ‘Class
                                            • Council-owned pools.                        3’ pools in the National Aquatic Facility
                                                                                          Classification and Definition System.
                                            • Learn-to-swim pools.
                                            • Early childhood care, tertiary
                                                education and higher education
                                                venue pools.
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
Contents

           About Life Saving Victoria                                                  2
           About Aquatics and Recreation Victoria                                      2
           Acknowledgements                                                            2
           Definitions                                                                 2
           Aim                                                                         4
           Objectives                                                                  4
           Introduction from LSV and ARV                                               5
           Sector size and economic benefits                                           6
           Public pool social and health benefits                                      7
           2019-20 Overview                                                            8
           Impacts of COVID-19                                                         9
           #InThisTogether –
           LSV’s aquatic industry COVID-19 response                                  10
           #OurIndustryConnected –
           ARV’s aquatic and recreation industry
           COVID-19 response                                                         11
           Distribution of Victorian public pools                                    12
           Drowning statistics                                                       14
           New industry initiatives                                                  16
           Updates to ongoing industry initiatives                                   20
           Sector safety                                                             22
           Research and industry strategies                                          28
           Case studies from industry                                                30
           Industry awards                                                           32
           News and events                                                           33
           New facility developments                                                 34
           Industry profiles                                                         36
           References and methods                                                    38
           Stakeholder opportunities 	                                               39

                               2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 3
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
Aim                                            Objectives
The annual Victorian                           This report provides:
Public Pools – State of the                    • An overview of the
Sector Report provides a                         industry’s size, scope
snapshot of the public                           and value.
pool industry.                                 • Analysis of industry
                                                 safety performance
The target audiences
                                                 and trends.
for the report are facility
                                               • An overview of sector
owners and operators,
                                                 projects, research and
aquatic industry agencies
                                                 new initiatives.
and government
                                               • Details of key industry
departments.
                                                 award and event
                                                 winners.
                                               • Insights into trends
                                                 in public pool use by
                                                 customers.
                                               • Evidence of the
                                                 impact of COVID-19
                                                 on the industry and
                                                 communities.

4 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
Introduction from
LSV and ARV
LSV and ARV are proud to present the third
annual Victorian Public Pools – State of the
Sector Report.
This report provides a broad, overall snapshot
of the public pool industry. As the one true
source of information, this report will increase
collaboration, improve analysis and evaluation,
and lead to more informed decisions within the
industry.

By working together, LSV and ARV are
creating a greater understanding of the
sector and better outcomes for members and
stakeholders.

Information and data have been provided
by LSV, ARV, industry partners and publicly
available sources. Understanding and
interpreting these will provide better insight into
the sector’s size, performance and broader
landscape. The insights continue to inform
smarter, more confident and larger public
pool investments.

Dr Nigel Taylor ESM        Kathy Parton
CEO                        Interim CEO
Life Saving Victoria       Aquatics &
                           Recreation Victoria

                                                      2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 5
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
Sector size
  and economic
  benefits
                                                                        $38.8m
            288
                                                               annual direct economic benefit to the Victorian
                                                               economy is provided by outdoor pools
                                                               (Swimming Australia, 2020).
  Victorian council-owned pools.

            280                                                         $242m
                                                               annual direct economic benefit to the Victorian
  additional Victorian public-access pools.                    economy is provided by indoor pools and
                                                               indoor/outdoor complexes (Swimming Australia, 2020).

            70million+                                                  $247m
  visits to Victorian aquatic recreation facilities
  in a typical (non-COVID-19) year                             annual indirect economic benefit to the
  (Victorian Water Safety Assembly, 2016).
                                                               Victorian economy is provided by public pool
                                                               supply chains and ancillary expenditures

            40,000+
                                                               (Swimming Australia, 2020).

  employees trained in water safety each year
  (Skills IQ, 2018).
                                                                        $36m
                                                               annual indirect health contributions is provided
                                                               by swimming in Victoria (Swimming Australia, 2020).
  Sport and active
  recreation                                                            $1.1b
  make a significant contribution to Victoria’s                lifetime health contribution is provided by
  liveability (Sport and Recreation Victoria, 2017).           swimming in Victoria (Swimming Australia, 2020).

            $8.5b                                                       $110m
  value of sport and recreation to the Victorian               annual direct contribution to the regional
  economy (Sport and Recreation Victoria, 2017).               Victorian economy is provided by public pools
                                                               (Swimming Australia, 2020).

            $1.8b                                                       $194m
  annual direct economic benefit to the
  Victorian economy is provided by swimming                    annual direct contribution to the metropolitan
  (Swimming Australia, 2020).                                  Melbourne economy is provided by public
                                                               pools (Swimming Australia, 2020).

            $304m                                                       $933m
  annual direct economic benefit to the Victorian
  economy is provided by public pool operations                four-year planned infrastructure spend
  (including learn-to-swim) (Swimming Australia, 2020).        (Victorian Auditor General’s Office, 2016).

6 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
Public pool   Swimming and water safety skills are a critical
              component in drowning prevention
social and    (World Health Organisation, 2014).

health        Drowning costs the Australian economy
              $1.5 billion each year (RLSA, 2018).
benefits
              Each swimming pool visit generates $26 in health
              benefits to the community (RLSA, 2017).

              Swimming is Australia’s largest participation
              sport, and Australia’s most successful sport at
              the Olympics and Paralympics (Swimming Australia, 2020).

              Insufficient physical activity is responsible for
              five per cent of all death and disability in Australia
              (RLSA, 2017).

              Lack of sufficient physical activity costs the
              Australian economy $3.7 billion every year
              (RLSA, 2017).

              The average aquatic facility creates $2.72 million
              a year in value to the community (RLSA, 2017).

              Physical activity has a 25 per cent preventative
              impact on anxiety and depression
              (Harvard University, 2020).

              Increasing the rate of physical activity by
              10 per cent has been estimated to reduce
              physical inactivity (low levels of physical activity)
              related deaths by 15 per cent and new cases by
              13 per cent (VicHealth, 2016).

              Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause
              of death due to non-communicable disease
              worldwide (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and
              cancers) – contributing to over three million
              preventable deaths annually (six per cent of
              deaths globally) (World Health Organization, 2009).

              Increasing the activity of physically inactive
              Victorians would save $245 million in health costs
              in a lifetime (Victoria State Government, 2017).

              Increasing the activity of physically inactive
              Victorians would increase workplace productivity
              by $3.1 billion in a lifetime (Victoria State Government, 2017).

                            2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 7
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
2019-20                                       2019-20 was marred by bushfires,
Overview                                      poor air quality and a global
                                              pandemic. It was a challenging
                                              time for everyone, and the aquatic
                                              and recreation industry was
                                              impacted significantly.
                                              It was also a time when industry personnel drew on the resilience and
                                              skills they had learned to help each other, their communities and their
                                              stakeholders.
                                              It will be a year remembered not just for the difficulties, but also for
                                              the way it brought the aquatic industry together (while staying apart)
                                              to find new and innovative solutions to how it delivers services to the
                                              community.
                                              It is clear that technology equipped the industry to adapt to new
                                              challenges, but it was also a time to recognise that a screen can
                                              never replace the value of meaningful, face-to-face interaction or the
                                              feelings of joy and rejuvenation that swimming in a pool and gathering
                                              at community facilities brings.
                                              There is little doubt that a blend of online and face-to-face service
                                              delivery will continue to assist the industry in providing more efficient
                                              and effective services to its stakeholders into the future.

8 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
Impacts of                             The Arts and Recreation sectors
COVID-19                               have been hardest hit by COVID-19
                                       lockdowns (ABS, 2020).

PUBLIC POOL CLOSURES* FROM 16 MARCH - 31 MAY 2020 RESULTED IN:

     -$346                  -$21 million -$6.9 million                                        -13 million
     million                 immediate detrimental         detrimental effect                         visits to
                               effect to regional          on public health                        public pools
immediate detrimental
                              Victoria’s economy          with further ongoing                     did not occur.
 effect to the Victorian
                              with ongoing further             detrimental
economy with ongoing                                                                           Indirectly adversely
                              detrimental impacts.              impacts.                        affecting physical
   further detrimental
         impacts.                                                                               activity levels and
                                                                                                 mental health.

                  -8,000                   -145,000                        -$523,000
              aquatic industry staff        swim lessons                  average immediate
              missed out on water           were missed                  detrimental economic
                safety training.             each week.                      effects on each
                                                                         aquatic facility’s local
                                                                        community with ongoing
                                                                           further detrimental
                                                                                 impacts.

                                                 *It is noted that this data is restricted only to the 2019-20 financial year
                                                               and that impacts carry over into the 2020-21 financial year.
                                                  **It is noted that adverse economic, health and social impacts could
                                               have been significantly greater in the face of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
                                                     pandemic had restrictions not been imposed. LSV and ARV remain
                                                supportive of all government efforts to protect the Victorian community.

                                                             2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 9
Victorian Public Pools State of the Sector Report 2019/20 - Life Saving ...
#InThisTogether                               Every area of LSV was affected by the
LSV’s aquatic                                 COVID-19 pandemic, but the team have
                                              proven to be #InThisTogether through the
industry                                      development of a number of innovative
COVID-19                                      solutions that kept the aquatic and recreation
response                                      industry connected, informed and engaged.
                                              For aquatic and recreation industry professionals who temporarily
                                              lost their workplaces to the pandemic, the online Aquatic, Fitness
                                              and Recreation (AFAR) – Professional Development Series provided
                                              opportunities to keep the aquatic and recreation industry informed
                                              and their thinking current in a rapidly changing environment.
                                              The Water Safety @Home Series provided learning opportunities for
                                              children who were missing out on swimming lessons to learn at home.
                                              Mental Wellbeing Mondays and Blue Connections provided industry
                                              personnel opportunities to connect and look after their psychological
                                              wellbeing.
                                              CPR & First @Home offerings were quickly mobilised to allow industry
                                              personnel to keep their qualifications up to date without needing to
                                              leave their homes.
                                              Throughout the pandemic, LSV worked with industry leaders to
                                              advocate on the impacts experienced by aquatic facilities and learn-
                                              to-swim schools and recognises the unprecedented hardships faced
                                              by the industry in 2019-20, and that they will continue to be felt into
                                              the future.
                                              Through this period, LSV lead a number of key advocacy initiatives
                                              including the provision of an industry Return to Play Plan endorsed by
                                              government to be used by aquatic facilities in order to facilitate a safe
                                              and early as possible reopening.
                                              LSV worked closely with the Department of Health and Human
                                              Services (DHHS), Sport and Recreation Victoria (SRV), WorkSafe and
                                              Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) to ensure timely, evidence-
                                              based and effective advocacy was given between government and
                                              industry as well as participating in and leading a number of industry
                                              forums and engagement activities to ensure the sharing of information
                                              and enable effective decision making.
                                              By looking at how LSV could service the needs of industry
                                              professionals working from home, as well as the needs of government
                                              and industry organisations, LSV took a multilateral and holistic
                                              approach to its support, advocacy and engagement efforts and would
                                              like to thank every partner and stakeholder for their collaboration over
                                              this difficult period.

10 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
#OurIndustryConnected

ARV’s aquatic           The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a significant
                        impact on the Victorian aquatic and recreation
and recreation          industry.
industry                While some annual ARV activities have either been rescheduled, pivoted
COVID-19                or adapted, ARV’s focus over this period of 2020 has been to enable and
                        lead industry engagement and advocacy activities within Victoria and
response                nationally.
                        As a peak Victorian industry body, our priority has been to represent
                        our members and industry through important integrative functions
                        including research, provision of advice to government and the sector,
                        advocacy and representation to government and other decision-makers,
Key collaborative       information dissemination within the sector and to the community,
outcomes have           industry consultation and coordination within the sector and industry
included:               capacity building.
                        ARV has closely monitored the COVID-19 pandemic using official
• Victorian Aquatics
                        sources to ensure the best information has been provided to the industry
  and Recreation        to enable a consistent industry response to government COVID-19
  Industry Recovery     directions.

  Proposal.             ARV has established and participated in a number of new collaborations
                        to ensure industry connection and enable contemporary industry advice
• Victorian Aquatics    to government, including the Victorian Aquatics and Recreation Industry
  and Recreation        Leaders Group, the National Aquatics and Recreation Industry Leaders
                        Group, the Victorian Aquatics Industry Alliance and the Australian Leisure
  Reopening             Facilities Networking Committee. These groups, comprising senior
  Proposal.             industry personnel, have informed advocacy activities, industry resource
                        development, industry engagement and industry innovations.
• Victorian Aquatics    ARV have provided opportunities for multiple segments of the Victorian
  and Recreation        aquatic and recreation industry to regularly stay engaged, be informed,
  Advocacy Plan.        learn from each other, problem-solve and provide peer support
                        throughout this changing and challenging year.

                                              2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 11
Distribution                                  There are more than 560 public pools
of Victorian                                  in Victoria, providing infrastructure and
                                              services for aquatic leisure, learn-to-swim
public pools                                  and rehabilitation.

Regional
public pools

12 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Metropolitan
                               public pools

                        Legend
                        Pool Type
                              Council (288)
                              Learn to Swim (193)
                              School / University (81)

                        Population density

                         3 people or fewer per km2

                         3.1 to 8.5 people per km2

                         8.6 to 138 people per km2

                         139 to 1575 people per km2

                         1576 to 4870 people per km2

                                       *not shown on map:
                        approximately 100 communal pools

2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 13
Key statistics

Drowning
statistics                                                                           10
                                                                                     Drowning deaths in public pools
                                                                                     since July 2000
There were
no drowning
deaths in                                                                            78%
Victorian public                                                                     Of drowning victims
                                                                                     were male
pools in 2019-20.
However, there                                              29                       Median age of
were 24 non-                                               Years                     Drowning victims

fatal drowning
incidents
attended by
                                                       92 Non-fatal drowning
                                                          incidents in public pools
paramedics.                                                              in the past 5 years
                                                                         (2014-15 to 2019-20)

                                                                                     41%
                                                                                     of non-fatal drowning incidents
                                                                                     were children aged 5-14 years.

Key contributing factors to                   FIGURE 1 Frequency of fatal and non-fatal drowning at public
fatal drowning deaths:                        pools 2014/15 to 2019/20*

                                                   Fatal
                                                   Non-fatal

  Lack of supervision
                                                      11*

                                                                          22

                                                                                           12

                                                                                                                       25

                                                                                                                                      24
                                                 2

                                                                     1

                                                                                       0

                                                                                                     0

                                                                                                         9

                                                                                                                   0

                                                                                                                                  0
                                                           2014/15

                                                                           2015/16

                                                                                           2016/17

                                                                                                         2017/18

                                                                                                                        2018/19

                                                                                                                                       2019/20

  Pre-existing                                *Note: Figure 1 missing non-fatal drowning data in
  medical conditions                          2014-15 due to industrial action by paramedics.

14 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Fatal and non-fatal drownings
at public swimming pools

Fatal drowning             Although outside the scope of the Victorian Public Pools - State of the
incidents                  Sector Report, it is important to note that there were two drowning deaths
                           in a communal ‘Class 3’ pool during this period. (Class 3 pools are those
There were no              located in a residential building, including pools within hotels/motels,
drowning deaths            caravan parks, apartment complexes and retirement villages.)
                           Since July 2000, there have been ten drowning deaths in public pools in
at public pools in         Victoria, representing 1.2 per cent of the total unintentional drowning deaths
Victoria in the last       in Victoria. Further analysis of drowning deaths in public pools over the past
                           20 years revealed that 78 per cent were male and the median age was
financial year.            29-years old. Most occurred in summer or autumn and the average time
                           was 2:30pm. Key contributing factors were a lack of supervision and pre-
                           existing medical conditions. (Life Saving Victoria, 2018; Mahony et al, 2018).

Non-fatal drowning         The 24 non-fatal drowning incidents at public pools in Victoria
incidents                  in 2019-20 is eight more than the five-year average of 16 non-fatal
                           drowning incidents in public pools attended by paramedics.
There were 24              Non-fatal drowning incidents in public pools represented one in four of
non-fatal drowning         the total non-fatal drowning incidents attended by paramedics in Victoria
incidents at public        from 2014-15 to 2018-19. The leading age group for non-fatal drowning
                           was children aged 5-14 years (41 per cent), followed by children aged
pools in Victoria in       0-4 years (29 per cent), and adults aged 25-44 years (10 per cent).
the last financial year.
                           This rise in non-fatal drownings over the last two
                           years continues to be an area of concern for LSV. To
                           reduce the frequency and likelihood of these incidents,
                           a stronger systems-based approach to drowning
                           prevention is required in public and communal pools,
                           with an emphasis on preventive measures.
                           The primary preventative measure that should be in place is supervision,
                           which is recommended for all public and communal pools. Supervision
                           delivery should be supported by appropriate public safety messages and/
                           or pool rules, such as mandating parental supervision for children under
                           ten as well as messages targeting vulnerable adult swimmers. To ensure
                           the effectiveness of supervision, careful planning should be undertaken in
                           consultation with employees responsible for supervision delivery to ensure
                           the drowning prevention system is achieving its intended objectives.
                           Critically, systematic Pool Safety Assessments and appropriate testing of
                           supervision systems via expert mystery shoppers will enhance the third-
                           party validation of the delivery of supervision to pool customers and/or
                           expose any gaps in the system prior to a system failure.
                           By developing a more robust system of drowning prevention, and
                           by putting the system to the test, the likelihood of a drowning event
                           decreases. It may be the difference between a rescue and a resuscitation,
                           and pool owners and operators should mitigate to the extent possible the
                           risk of a drowning prevention system failure within their facility.

                                                  2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 15
New industry                                                                                                                  SwimSafe
                                                                                                                              In December 2019, the SwimSafe public safety campaign was
initiatives                                                                                                                   launched to contribute towards making public pools safer for higher
                                                                                                                              risk swimmers.
                                                                                                                                             The SwimSafe campaign was born out of coronial
                                                                                                                                     1
                                                            5
                                                                                                                                             recommendations and aims to educate vulnerable

         YUOPU R                                                   REA                                                                       adult swimmers about the risks associated with aquatic
       T                                                              DT
   PUHAND P
             FOR                                                        HE                                                                   environments.

         HEL                                                       SAFETy                                                                    The campaign has been implemented in over 75 public

                                                                              NS
                                                                                                                                             pools since inception and was nominated for a Parks and

                                                                           SIG                                                               Leisure Australia Research Project of the Year award. The
                                                                                                                                             program has received a boost thanks to the generous
                                                                   ®                                                                         sponsorship by Cleaning Melbourne.

                                             YOU
                                                 BUY
                                                     YOUR
                                                          TICKE
                                                               T

                                                                       GET THE 5 TIPS TO SWIM SAFE WHEN YOU BUY YOUR TICKET
                                                                                                                                         ®
                                                                                                                                             More information lsv.com.au/pool-safety-services/swimsafe/
                                        WHEN
                                   SAFE
                              SWIM
                       S TO
                  5 TIP
              THE
          GET

                                                                                                                              Virtual Y
                                                                                                                              The Virtual Y offers free access to exclusive fitness videos, nutritious
                                                                                                                              recipes, wellbeing advice, family activities and a youth hub.
                                                                                                                              The youth hub focusses on both physical and mental health and offers
                                                                                                                              methods of looking after wellbeing through mindfulness practices, at-
                                                                                                                              home learning activities that can be done with family, and engagement
                                                                                                                              with the Australian youth community.
                                                                                                                              Along with social isolation, young people are facing loss of employment,
                                                                                                                              financial insecurity and increased anxiety about the future. The Virtual
                                                                                                                              Y continues to advocate for and provide services for young people and
                                                                                                                              communities as they have never been more important.
                                                                                                                              More information virtualy.ymca.org.au/

                                                                                                                              Virtual Fitness Glen Eira Leisure (GESAC)
                                                                                                                              Launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Glen Eira
                                                                                                                              Leisure (GEL) ‘Anywhere’ online streaming of fitness classes is a
                                                                                                                              great example of how local government adapted to the needs of
                                                                                                                              keeping its local community active, healthy and engaged
                                                                                                                              from home.
                                                                                                                              Hosted in a unique hub dedicated to activity type, an innovative and
                                                                                                                              comprehensive program is available and caters to everyone. From
                                                                                                                              training videos, Zumba sessions, at-home bodyweight workouts and
                                                                                                                              more, community members can stay fit and connected from anywhere,
                                                                                                                              no matter their location. Classes were also featured on Glen Eira
                                                                                                                              Leisure’s Facebook page Monday-Saturday.
                                                                                                                              More information www.geleisure.com.au/group-fitness/gel-anywhere

16 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Home Fitness Network –
               Belgravia Group
               Powered by over 25+ live group fitness classes,
               plus 100+ programs, and leveraging the collective
               resources of the Belgravia Leisure, Genesis, Ninja
               Parc, Coaching Zone, Jump Swim Schools and
               Belgravia Kids organisations, an impressive health
               and wellbeing at home offering is available from the
               Belgravia Group.
Programs include Group Fitness, Strength and Conditioning, Wellness,
Yoga, Meditation, New Mum Workouts, Active Kids, Ageless Activities
(seniors’ program) and a nutrition portal.
More information www.belgraviahomefitnessnetwork.com/

               Facility Champions Program
               LSV launched the Facility Champions program in
               February 2020, which enables aquatic facilities to
               deliver LSV training resources to their customers
               and staff.
               Leveraging the structure and logic of the traditional
               Service Member program, the Facility Champions
               program is geared towards supporting aquatic facilities
               and commercial partners with their training activities.
The program is a great way to effectively and efficiently deliver high-
quality, in-service staff training, consistent with the requirements of
the GSPO, as well as professional development training including
Watch Around Water and SwimSafe. The program also offers a unique
commercial opportunity to aquatic partners, with awards such as the
RLSA Bronze Medallion or Emergency Care being the perfect addition to
school group or holiday program activities.
More information lsv.com.au/training-all/lsv-service-members/

CPR@Home and First Aid@Home
Developed and released during the first lockdown, LSV’s CPR@
Home and First Aid@Home training courses continue to be
available to Victorians to complete or update from the comfort and
convenience of their own home.
The adapted courses are fully accredited and meet both workplace and
legislative requirements. The courses make use of engaging
online learning to deliver the theory training and new instructional
video demonstrations to guide individuals through their practical
assessment tasks.
More information training.lsv.com.au/

                     2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 17
Water Safety @ Home
                                                                LSV’s Water Safety @ Home series provides online,
                                                                practical sessions for kids to stay active, and learn
                                                                water safety, CPR, first aid, swimming and the
                                                                lifesaving Nippers program from their home or
                                                                classroom.
                                                               The sessions are designed for early childhood through
                                                               to upper primary-school ages, and there are also Water
                                                               Safety Watch and Learn videos and resources available
                                              that align with the Victorian curriculum.
                                              More information
                                              lsv.com.au/education/watersafetyathome/

                                              Aquatic, Fitness and Recreation (AFAR)
                                              Professional Development Series
                                              During the COVID-19 Stage 3 restrictions, LSV took the decision
                                              to partner with industry organisations to deliver free professional
                                              development webinars four times per week to industry personnel.
                                              Over 5,500 professionals participated in these sessions in 2019-20
                                              through live attendance or viewing the content after the session via the
                                              LSV website.
                                              The webinars were broken down into four service area streams: safety
                                              and operations, swimming and water safety education, management
                                              and leadership, and health and fitness.
                                              *The fitness stream was coordinated by Fitness Australia, and LSV would
                                              like to acknowledge the Fitness Australia team for their partnership and
                                              spirit of collaboration.
                                              All sessions are recorded and remain available.
                                              More information lsv.com.au/pool-safety-services/afar/

                                              Blue Connections
                                              Blue Connections is LSV’s networking event series.
                                              Blue Connections connects the broader aquatic industry, volunteer
                                              members, staff, emergency services, education and sport and recreation
                                              sectors, and interested community members together to network, share
                                              and grow through interactive professional and personal development
                                              workshops.
                                              During Coronavirus restrictions, Blue Connections continued to be
                                              offered once a month in a virtual format.
                                              More information lsv.com.au/blueconnections/

18 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
‘Where are they now?’
               Multicultural Role Model Series
               LSV’s ‘Where are they now?’ role model video series
               showcases interviews and inspiring stories from
               participants of culturally and linguistically diverse
               (CALD) background who have graduated from LSV’s
               multicultural employment and settlement pathway
               over the past decade.
The feature aims to highlight LSV’s decade-long pool program that
establishes pathways for multicultural community members into paid
lifeguarding and swim teacher positions. Benefits for local aquatic
centres include bridging cultural and language differences and
encouraging inclusion and social cohesion. It is hoped that these
benefits will also extend into the emergency services sector.
More information:
lsv.com.au/multicultural/role-model-settlement-video-series/

Water Quality Risk Management Plan
Following industry feedback, LSV partnered with Commercial
Aquatics Australia and AquaticOne engineers to develop and roll out
a free risk management template for aquatic facilities across the state.
The Water Quality Risk Management Plan aims to assist facility owners
and operators in complying with the recent ‘Water quality guidelines
for public aquatic facilities’ released by the Department of Health and
Human Services. The steps outlined in the plan have been implemented
in more than 100 public pools across Victoria.
More information lsv.com.au/pool-safety-services/industry-support/

Return to Play Plan
To assist in meeting changing government restrictions, LSV
developed and published a Return to Play Plan for the aquatic
industry as a practical tool to assist aquatic facility owners and
operators prepare for and continue their ‘Return to Play’ activities.
The tool focuses on available risk mitigants relevant to COVID-19
and how they can be applied at aquatic facilities. It leverages the
Sport and Recreation Victoria Return to Play Plan template and has
been customised and continually updated for easy use and localised
application throughout the different reopening phases.

                      2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 19
Updates
to ongoing
industry
initiatives

                                              Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations –
                                              COVID-19
                                              The National Aquatic Industry Safety Committee and RLSA in
                                              response to the COVID-19 crisis, prepared and published a new
                                              section to the GSPO to address the challenges faced by COVID-19.
                                              The guideline provides practical guidance for owners or operators of
                                              aquatic facilities on how to manage the risks within an aquatic facility as
                                              it applies to COVID-19.
                                              More information: www.guidelines.royallifesaving.com.au/

20 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Victorian Water Safety Certificate
State Government funding for the Swimming in Schools initiative is
helping meet the curriculum requirements for all Victorian primary
students to achieve the Victorian Water Safety Certificate (VWSC) by
the end of Year 6, with a dramatic increase in certificate achievements.
              During the 2019 school year, LSV issued nearly 27,000 Victorian
              Water Safety Certificates (VWSC), a 76 per cent increase on the
              previous year. Due to COVID-19 activity restrictions preventing
              the delivery of swimming lessons, the target VWSC numbers
              for 2020 will not be achieved. As an alternative, Water Safety
              @ Home resources have been developed and made available
              to enable schools and swim schools to deliver water safety
              learning during restrictions. LSV is working with government and
              industry to ensure the VWSC can be achieved by students who
              missed out in 2020 and ensure they are not left behind.

Public Pools Register – Year two complete
LSV’s Public Pools Register allows patrons to check their local
pool’s safety classification, see its level of safety endorsement and
view when it was last assessed.
The register provides an overview of a pool’s services, features and safety
standards and includes council, learn-to-swim and educational facilities. As
part of the Victorian Government – Safer Pools project, it’s a key component of
the Safer Public Pool – Code of Practice, which was jointly developed following
coronial recommendations. The register allows facility owners and operators
to track their own performance, as well as the performance of similar facilities.
LSV would like to acknowledge and congratulate the pools that have received
and maintained safety endorsements on the register.
More information:
lsv.com.au/pool-safety-services/victorian-pool-register/

National Swimming and Water Safety
Framework review complete
The National Swimming and Water Safety Framework has the
ultimate goal to increase the swimming and water safety skills of
all Australians for lifelong safe and active participation in physical
aquatic activities and recreation.
It sets out a core structure to enable people to develop the skills, knowledge,
understanding, attitudes and behaviours they need to enjoy a range of aquatic
environments safely. The framework is intended for those who influence
the learning opportunities and experiences for swimming and water safety
education and guides those responsible for developing, providing or selecting
a swimming and water safety program.
More information www.royallifesaving.com.au/programs/national-
swimming-and-water-safety-framework

                        2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 21
Sector                                        In 2019–20, LSV’s Pool Safety Assessments
                                              (PSA) rated the safety of 109 facilities against a
safety                                        range of industry, state and national standards,
                                              guidelines and legislative provisions.

LSV gratefully                                Each year, LSV evaluates the sector’s overall safety performance against
acknowledge facilities                        recognised standards. Completing a pool safety assessment enables a
                                              pool to:
that have committed
to the Pool Safety                            • Ensure access to updated information and advice based on
                                                continually evolving safety standards and best practice.
Assessment process
                                              • Provide a thorough assessment of the current safety standards and
and have contributed
                                                management systems against relevant compliance standards.
their time and
                                              • Assist with determining exposure relating to aquatic risk.
resources to ensuring
their pools meet                              • Provide independent, expert information and advice.
industry standards                            • Demonstrate the use of appropriate risk management processes.
for the wellbeing and
safety of their patrons                       FIGURE 2 PSA breakdown by management in 2019-20.
and staff.

                                                                               12% ALIGNED LEISURE

                                                                               14% BELGRAVIA LEISURE

                                                                               35% COUNCIL

                                                                               14% OTHER

                                                                               26% YMCA VICTORIA

                                              Of the
                                              109 facilities
                                                                                         77
                                                                                         (71%) operated
                                              assessed in                                year-round.

                                              2019-20:
                                                                                         29
                                                                                         (27%) were LSV Platinum
                                                                                         Pools.

                                                                                         90
                                                                                         (83%) undertake the
                                                                                         PSA process annually.

                                              *Note: Refer ‘Communal
                                              pools’ in definitions.
                                                                                         7
                                                                                         were communal pools.*

22 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Overview of PSA results for 2019-20

  86%                     87%                                  42%
Mean Safety score       Mean Compliance                     Council owned pools
up by 1.4% on 3-year    score up by 4.1% on                 were not assessed in
average (2016-17 to     3-year average (2016-17             the last 3 years.
2018-19).               to 2018-19).

All year pools          Pools assessed                      Safety and operations:
outperformed seasonal   annually outperformed               Spa Pools, Lap and
pools by 11.8% for      those assessed less                 Lane Pools and
compliance and 11.0%    frequently than annually            Inflatables were the
for safety.             by 12.8% for compliance             highest performing
                        and 11.73% for safety               sections.
                                                            Slides and flumes,
                                                            emergency planning
                                                            and qualifications, and
                                                            training were the lowest
                                                            performing sections.

                                       2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 23
Key section                                   FIGURE 3 Comparison of key assessment sections (%) –
                                              2019-20 vs three-year average.
safety scores

This section
compares the safety
scores for 11 of
the 20 sections in
2019-20 with the
                                                    83.2%

                                                                    87.7%

                                                                                78.1%

                                                                                               83.8%

                                                                                                           80.7%

                                                                                                                             84.1%

                                                                                                                                          80.9%

                                                                                                                                                                85.8%

                                                                                                                                                                             89.2%

                                                                                                                                                                                                 93.1%

                                                                                                                                                                                                              81.8%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           87.5%
previous three-year
average scores
                                                section 1
                                                             WORK HEALTH
                                                                & SAFETY

                                                                            section 2*
                                                                                         EMERGENCY
                                                                                           PLANNING

                                                                                                       section 3
                                                                                                                    QUALIFICATIONS
                                                                                                                        & TRAINING

                                                                                                                                     section 5
                                                                                                                                                  SUPERVISION

                                                                                                                                                                        section 6
                                                                                                                                                                                     FIRST AID

                                                                                                                                                                                                         section 7
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      PLANT &
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     CHEMICAL
(2016-17 to 2018-19)
(Figure 4).
                                                    90.9%

                                                                    94.3%

                                                                                90.9%

                                                                                               91.2%

                                                                                                                             94.6%

                                                                                                                                          83.9%

                                                                                                                                                                94.1%

                                                                                                                                                                             79.9%

                                                                                                                                                                                                 83.5%
                                                                                                           94%
                                                section 10
                                                             LAP & LANE
                                                                 POOLS

                                                                            section 11
                                                                                         LEISURE
                                                                                          POOLS

                                                                                                       section 12
                                                                                                                      SPA
                                                                                                                    POOLS

                                                                                                                                     section 17
                                                                                                                                                  INFLATABLES

                                                                                                                                                                        section 18
                                                                                                                                                                                     SLIDES &
                                                                                                                                                                                      FLUMES

                                                                3 year average 2016/17 - 2018/19                                      2019/20

                                              *Note: Emergency planning was introduced on 1 January 2018, so is not a three-year average.

                                              Safety scores across all 11 sections were higher in 2019-20 with the
                                              previous three-year average. Key observations:
                                              • Highest performing sections in 2019-20: spa pools (94.6 per cent),
                                                lap and lane pools (94.3 per cent) and inflatables (94.5 per cent).
                                              • Lowest performing sections in 2019-20: slides and flumes (83.5 per
                                                cent), emergency planning (83.8 per cent) and qualifications and
                                                training (84.5 per cent). Note that these scores still demonstrate an
                                                improvement on the three-year average.
                                              • The sections that saw the biggest improvement were: inflatables (12.1
                                                per cent higher compared with the previous three-year average) and
                                                emergency planning (6.9 per cent higher).

24 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
All year                         FIGURE 4 Mean overall compliance and mean safety score for all
                                 year and seasonal facilities (%).
vs seasonal
facilities
Facilities open
year-round scored
11.8 per cent higher
in compliance and
11 per cent higher in                                                90.7%

                                                                                                       80.1%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               All year (n=70)

                                                                                                                                                                                                 88.5%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 78.8%
safety than facilities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Seasonal (n=32)
open seasonally
                                       Overall compliance score                                                                                                                     Overall safety score
(Figures 4, 5 and Table 1).

                                 FIGURE 5 Overall mean section scores for all year and seasonal
                                 aquatic facilities (%).
                                    92.4%
                                                      77.3%

                                                                        87.4%
                                                                                         75.9%

                                                                                                                 84.8%
                                                                                                                                    82.9%

                                                                                                                                                            88.4%
                                                                                                                                                                         80.1%

                                                                                                                                                                                      94.8%
                                                                                                                                                                                                   89.7%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 91.9%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                77.7%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                98.1%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                90.2%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   94.3%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  84.9%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                84.8%
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               76.6%
                                  section 1
                                              WORK HEALTH & SAFETY

                                                                      section 2
                                                                                  EMERGENCY PLANNING

                                                                                                               section 3
                                                                                                                           QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

                                                                                                                                                          section 5
                                                                                                                                                                      SUPERVISION

                                                                                                                                                                                     section 6
                                                                                                                                                                                                 FIRST AID

                                                                                                                                                                                                                section 7
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            PLANT & CHEMICAL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               section 10
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            LAP & LANE POOLS

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  section 11
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               LEISURE POOLS

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               section 18
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            SLIDES & FLUMES

                                                                 All year (n=70)                                                                       Seasonal (n=32)

 TABLE 1 Mean compliance and safety scores, all year vs seasonal pools
                                 All Year                                                                      Seasonal                                                                                      Percentage difference
                                 (n = 32)                                                                      (n = 32)                                                                                      (All Year vs Seasonal)
 Mean Compliance score           90.7%                                                                         80.1%                                                                                         +11.8%
 Mean Safety score               88.5%                                                                         78.8%                                                                                         +11.0%

                                                                                                                                                       2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 25
Platinum vs                                   FIGURE 6 Mean overall compliance and mean safety score for
                                              Platinum and non-Platinum facilities (%).
non-Platinum
facilities
Platinum Pools*
scored 15.7 per cent
higher than non-
Platinum Pools for
compliance, and
15.8 per cent higher                                                                                                                                              Platinum (n=29)
                                                                 98.5%

                                                                                                                          96.3%

                                                                                                                                        81.1%
on safety compared
                                                                         83%
                                                                                                                                                                   Non-Platinum
to non-Platinum                                                                                                                                                    (n=73)

pools.                                              Overall compliance score                                     Overall safety score

*Note: The Platinum Pool program
is a program that aquatic facilities          FIGURE 7 Overall mean section scores for Platinum and non-
voluntarily undertake comprising a
                                              Platinum facilities.
series of assessments performed
annually by LSV. Exemplary levels
of safety must be achieved and
maintained before accreditation is
issued.
                                                                                                             %
                                               99.5%

                                                             98.4%

                                                                         96.9%

                                                                                     97.5%
                                                                                     81.1%

                                                                                                 99.3%

                                                                                                                  98.8%

                                                                                                                                  99.9%

                                                                                                                                                87.8%

                                                                                                                                                             91.3%

                                                                                                                                                                          99.1%
                                                                                                                                                                          85.8%

                                                                                                                                                                                       95.7%
                                                                                                                                                                                       69.9%
                                               83%

                                                             78%

                                                                         79%

                                                                                                                  83%

                                                                                                                                  92%

                                                                                                                                                99%

                                                                                                                                                             98%
                                                                                                 90.6
                                               section 1

                                                             section 2

                                                                         section 3

                                                                                     section 5

                                                                                                 section 6

                                                                                                                  section 7

                                                                                                                                  section 10

                                                                                                                                                section 11

                                                                                                                                                             section 12

                                                                                                                                                                          section 17

                                                                                                                                                                                       section 18

                                                           Platinum (n=29)                   Non-Platinum (n=73)

  TABLE 2 Mean compliance and safety scores, Platinum and non-Platinum facilities, and range.
                                       Platinum                               Non-Platinum                                    Difference
                                       (n = 29)                               (n = 73)                                        (Platinum vs Non-Platinum)
  Compliance score
  Mean                                 98.5%                                  83.0%                                           +15.7%
  Range (Min-Max)                      83.0% – 100.0%                         13.4% – 100.0%

  Safety score
  Mean                                 96.3%                                  81.1%                                           +15.8%
  Range (Min-Max)                      85.3% – 98.9%                          20.3% – 98.5%

26 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Performance                        Facilities assessed annually outperformed those assessed less
                                   frequently by 12.8 per cent for overall compliance score and 11.7 per
by assessment                      cent for overall safety score (Figure 9).

frequency                          Facilities assessed annually outperformed others across all sections,
                                   except qualifications and training. The largest difference in section
                                   scores between facilities assessed annually and those assessed less
                                   frequently was for the following key areas: Plant and chemical (18.7 per
Pool safety activities
                                   cent), work health and safety (14 per cent) and Leisure Pools (13.5 per
• 30 Platinum Pools –              cent) (Figure 10).
  16 accredited.
• 196 Watch Around Water
  accredited aquatic facilities.
                                   FIGURE 8 Mean overall compliance and mean safety score for
• 76 SwimSafe accredited           facilities by assessment frequency (%).
  aquatic facilities.
• 72 Pool Lifeguard Challenge
  competitors from 18 teams.
• 230 Pool Safety Summit
  attendees.
• 290 face-to-face Pool
  Safety Technical Workshop
  participants.                                                                                                                                                                          Annually (n=90)
                                                       89.5%

                                                                        78.1%

                                                                                                                                       87.4%

                                                                                                                                                 77.1%
• 5,501 AFAR PD series
                                                                                                                                                                                         Less than
  webinar attendees across                                                                                                                                                               annually (n=19)
  45 sessions.
                                        Overall compliance score                                                          Overall safety score
• 90 mystery guest visits
  delivered (additional 40
  cancelled due to COVID-19).      FIGURE 9 Overall mean section scores by frequency of
• 109 Pool Safety                  assessment (%).
  Assessments delivered
  (additional 30 cancelled due
  to COVID-19).
• 15 Facility Design
  Assessments conducted.
                                               77.4%

                                                          85.6%
                                                                    75.7%

                                                                                  82.8%
                                                                                            89.8%

                                                                                                        87.6%
                                                                                                                  77.9%

                                                                                                                            94.2%
                                                                                                                                        88.1%

                                                                                                                                                 90.6%
                                                                                                                                                            73.7%

                                                                                                                                                                     95.8%
                                                                                                                                                                                 86.8%

                                                                                                                                                                                            93.6%
                                                                                                                                                                                                        81.1%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 85.5%
                                     90%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                             83%
                                   section 1

                                                        section 2

                                                                                section 3

                                                                                                      section 5

                                                                                                                           section 6

                                                                                                                                                section 7

                                                                                                                                                                    section 10

                                                                                                                                                                                           section 11

                                                                                                                                                                                                                section 18

                                                 Annually (n=90)                                    Less than annually (n=19)

                                                                                               2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 27
Research
   and industry
   strategies

                                              Evaluation of Bush Nippers pilot programs
                                              LSV conducted a review into the feasibility and effectiveness of the
                                              Bush Nippers pilot programs conducted in Echuca, Shepparton
                                              and Ballarat.
                                              To measure the program’s impact, children participating in the U9
                                              and U12 age groups were assessed on their water safety knowledge
                                              and skills participation, before and after participating. Feedback was
                                              collected from staff involved in the program, and parents’ engagement
                                              and satisfaction were also measured.
                                              Key findings included a significant increase in the children’s water safety
                                              knowledge and lifesaving skills, with participants rating the program 4.5
                                              out of 5, and 100 per cent of parents recommending the program to
                                              other families.

                                              Lifeguard supervision eye-tracking study
                                              With the goal of maximising safety and reducing incidences of
                                              fatal and non-fatal drownings at public pools, LSV and Swinburne
                                              University conducted a study focused on the use of eye-tracking
                                              technology to determine the most appropriate supervision ratio of
                                              pool lifeguards to patrons.
                                              Observations suggest that where the number of patrons exceeded 75,
                                              drowning victims were not identified 50 per cent of the time. A higher
                                              number of patrons in the pool was also found to influence the length of
                                              time a pool lifeguard took to identify a potential drowning victim.
                                              The findings of this research will be referred to the National Aquatic
                                              Industry Committee and RLSA for consideration for adoption into the
                                              GSPO Aquatic Supervision section and will be considered in LSV pool
                                              lifeguard training resources.

28 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
National Aquatic Industry Workforce profile
RLSA has released the National Aquatic Industry Workforce profile
based on data collected and collated from the National Aquatic
Industry Workforce survey.
It captures a current snapshot of the aquatic industry across Australia
and presents demographic information on the key roles and make-up of
the workforce that supports the industry.
Key survey findings:
• It is an overwhelmingly female workforce.
• Almost half the workforce work casually.
• Most workers work throughout the year but in a part-time capacity.
• Many workers have a second job at least some of the time.
• Almost half the workforce live within 15 minutes of their workplace.
• Two in every five workers think they will stay in their role for six or
  more years.
• Most workers place a high value on working in a team and knowing
  their work has a positive impact on people’s lives.
• There are differing key trends across the range of aquatic industry
  roles.

More information: www.royallifesaving.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_
file/0006/26916/National-Aquatic-Industry-Workforce-Profile-2019.pdf

COVID-19 swim school impacts
In August 2020, ARV conducted a swim school survey with the
support of the Australian Swim School Association (ASSA),
Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA)
and AUSTSWIM.
The survey aimed to identify the impacts of COVID-19 closures on swim
schools across the state.
Key findings from the survey identified:
• 50 per cent of responders were not eligible for Victorian Government
   Business Support Grants.
• 82 per cent demonstrated concerns regarding staff retention.
• 1 per cent were unlikely to reopen.
• Every week of closure saw:
  – $2.5 million loss in swim school revenue
  – 145,000 students miss out on learn-to-swim programs
    (excluding school swimming).
  – There are concerns regarding the financial sustainability of
    organisations.

                       2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 29
Case studies                               Kelly Smart – Lakes Entrance Aquadome
                                              East Gippsland Shire Council
   from industry                              While an aquatics facility manager, lifeguard or swim teacher might
                                              not first come to mind as roles with skills to help out in a bushfire
                                              emergency, that is certainly something staff at a Lakes Entrance
                                              aquatic facility can attest to after volunteering during the East
                                              Gippsland bushfires.
                                              In particular, Lakes Entrance Aquadome Centre Manager - Kelly Smart
                                              was called upon to take a leading role in the setup and coordination of
                                              the town’s second relief centre, while facility staff played a crucial role in
                                              providing first aid and support to community members sheltered in the
                                              relief centre.
                                              The emergency response skills she and others had learnt as part of
                                              aquatic industry training were a great foundation for effective emergency
                                              planning and preparedness at a time of need. Kelly’s role in helping
                                              bushfire relief and recovery efforts ended up lasting two weeks, even when
                                              the relief centre had turned into an information centre.
                                              LSV and ARV commend staff of the East Gippsland Shire, in particular,
                                              the aquatic facility staff for their support to the community during that
                                              extremely difficult time.

   Note: the swim school wished               Case studies from swim schools
   to remain anonymous
                                              CASE STUDY ONE
                                              Facility one had overheads of approximately $4,000 per month and
                                              generated no income in the final quarter of 2019-20, as the facility
                                              income was solely derived from swimming lesson activities.
                                              Whilst the $10,000 Government grant was gratefully received, it was used
                                              to pay a $15,000 gas bill. Efforts were made by the facility to reduce
                                              expenditure, but the pool was losing approximately one per cent of water
                                              per week, so required continual top up. Also, the heating system was
                                              required to remain on (although turned on low), otherwise the resulting
                                              condensation damages the building fabric. Although the facility intended
                                              to reopen at the time of writing, it flagged further short-term costs
                                              associated with staff employment and re-training, who were not able to be
                                              kept on under the Government JobKeeper scheme.
                                              In 2020, the facility was expecting a financial loss of close to $170,000.
                                              Without the grants and federal payroll assistance, this would have been
                                              close to $300,000, highlighting the importance of the support provided by
   “At best, we predict                       Government. Due to the expectation of reduced consumer confidence and
   it will take eight to                      ongoing restrictions, the facility had forecast a financial loss of $150,000
                                              for 2021, and determined that make-up lessons were unlikely to be
   ten years just to                          possible, meaning they intended to credit lessons forward for each term
   recoup this loss.”                         which was expected to continue to impact cashflow.

30 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
Note: the swim school wished to   Case studies from swim schools
remain anonymous
                                  CASE STUDY TWO
                                  (incorporating two locations)

“The landlord                     LOCATION 1
refused to provide                The facility was able to renegotiate rent down to $1,500 per month, and
                                  have other overheads associated with electricity, insurance and outgoing
rent relief.”                     bills which totalled almost $3,000 per month. Income during the closure
                                  was $0. The facility had 110 students enrolled and did approximately
                                  180 lessons per week. It had one full-time and two casual staff members.

                                  LOCATION 2
                                  The landlord refused to provide rent relief, which remained at $2,800 per
                                  month throughout the period of closure. Other bills including electricity,
                                  insurance and outgoing bills totalled almost $2,500 per month. Income
                                  during the closure was $0. The facility had 70 students enrolled and did
                                  around 110 lessons per week. It had one full-time swim teacher.
                                  Between the two locations, only one casual sales and administration
                                  staff member was eligible for the Government JobKeeper program,
                                  although the swim school was successful in receiving the first and
                                  second round of the Victorian government grants and applied for the
                                  third round. Note: The funds are shared between the two locations.

                                                        2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 31
Personal Trainer Award                    Outstanding Contribution
2019/20                                                          Chris Pattison            Award
industry                                                         Aquanation,
                                                                 Maroondah Leisure
                                                                                                   Mike King
                                                                                                   Otium Planning
awards                                                                                             Group

                                                 Teacher of Babies, Infants
                                                 and Pre School Award                      ARV Life Member award
                                                                 Hannah O’Shea                     Carol Crofts
ARV INDUSTRY AWARDS                                              Eltham Leisure Centre,            Aquanation,
                                                                 Aligned Leisure                   Maroondah Leisure
Customer Service Award
             Thuy Hill
             Brimbank Leisure                    Teacher of People                         Innovative Program Award
             Centres,                            with a Disability                                 Junior Racers
             Brimbank City Council                               Al Gevers                         Camberwell Grammar
                                                                 Yarra Leisure,                    School
Duty Manager Award                                               Yarra City Council
             Jackson Tellus                                                                Health Club Award
             Aquarena Aquatic                                                                      Aquarena Aquatic
                                                                 Anneliese McDonald
             and Leisure Centre,                                                                   & Leisure Belgravia
                                                                 Eltham Leisure Centre,
             Belgravia Leisure                                                                     Leisure
                                                                 Aligned Leisure
Pool Lifeguard Award
                                                                                           Watch Around Water Award
             David Morris                        Course Instructor Award
             Aquarena Aquatic                                                                      Aquapulse
                                                                 Aleksei Bondarenko-
             and Leisure Centre,                                                                   Western Leisure
                                                                 Edwards
             Belgravia Leisure                                                                     Services
                                                                 Yarra Centre,
                                                                 Belgravia Leisure
Membership Sales Award
                                                                                           Swim School Award
             Sarah Chadwick                      Sustainability Award
             Aquapulse, Western                                                            & Facility Management
                                                                 Sunshine Leisure
             Leisure Services                                    Centre                    Award – All Year Large
                                                                 Brimbank City Council             Eltham Leisure
                                                                                                   Centre
Most Valuable                                                                                      Aligned Leisure
Employee Award                                   Emerging Leader
             Shelby Rae                                          Sam Kane
             Aquapulse, Western                                  Golden Square             Facility Management
             Leisure Services                                    Pool                      Award – All Year Medium
                                                                                                   Brimbank Leisure
                                                                                                   Centres
Group Exercise Instructor                        Marketing and
Award                                            Communications Award
             Louise Craig                                        Queens Park
             Peninsula Aquatic and                               Belgravia Leisure         Facility Management
             Recreation Centre                                                             Award – All Year Small
                                                                                                   Deakin Active
Swim Teacher of the Year                                                                           Clublinks
                                                 Community Impact Award
             Frog Peck                                           Brighter Futures          Facility Management
             Kyneton Toyota Sports                               Outer East
             and Aquatic Centre,                                 Kilsyth Centenary Pool,   Award – Seasonal
                                                                 Belgravia Leisure                 Belgrave Outdoor
             Macedon Ranges
             Shire Council                                                                         Pool
                                                                                                   Belgravia Leisure

32 2019/20 Victorian
           Victorian Public
                     PublicPools:
                            Pools:State
                                   Stateofofthe
                                             theSector
                                                 SectorReport
                                                        Report
LSV INDUSTRY
AWARDS
                            News and
LSV Public Training
                            events
Licensee of the Year
       Western Victoria
       First Aid Training   Real life rescue during training course
       Services
                            A Pool Lifeguard update course at Ascot Vale Leisure Centre
LSV Public Training         took an unexpected turn, leaving course trainer Stewart Nicoll
Trainer of the Year         and candidates Brad Norton and Robin Sadler with a real life
        David Nankervis     rescue on their hands.
                                                                  When fellow participant
                                                                  Trevor Mildenhall collapsed
                                                                  poolside and stopped
LSV Education Instructor                                          breathing just after the
of the Year                                                       200m timed swim, Stewart,
                                                                  Brad and Robin initiated
        Tui Griffin
                                                                  resuscitation efforts, and a
                            defibrillator and oxygen equipment was supplied by centre staff.
                            The group worked on Trevor until the emergency services arrived,
                            and following further resuscitation and advanced life support
LSV Public Training         medication, Trevor thankfully began to breathe again unaided.
Service Member of
the Year                    The paramedics commended both the centre staff and course
                            candidates on their resuscitation efforts, and suggested Trevor had
        Marcus Maher
                            a ‘long life prognosis’.
                            This incident highlights the importance of early access, early CPR
                            and early defibrillation, as well as fast access to advanced life
                            support medication, for saving lives.
LSV Swim and Survive
Licensee of the Year
        Eltham Leisure      Pool Lifeguard Challenge
        Centre
        Aligned Leisure     Kingston Active were crowned the 2019 LSV Pool Lifeguard
                            Challenge champions, in recognition of an impressive display
                            of lifeguarding skills and teamwork.
                                                                  Held at Melbourne Sports
                                                                  and Aquatic Centre,
                                                                  18 teams representing
ARV and LSV                                                       36 aquatic facilities
would like to                                                     competed in a variety
                                                                  of simulated scenarios.
acknowledge and                                                   Scenarios ranged from
congratulate all            aquatic spinal injury management, to major first aids. Finally, a
                            series of race events challenged teams’ physical lifeguarding
2019-20 industry            rescue abilities.
award winners.                          The LSV Pool Lifeguard
                                        Challenge is supported by
                                        Laerdal Medical.

                                             2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report 33
New facility
developments

                                                                Kew Recreation Centre
                                                                Kew Recreation Centre is about to undergo an
                                                                exciting redevelopment to provide the community
                                                                with a modern, state-of-the-art facility catering to
                                                                all ages and abilities. The centre is now closed
   St Albans Leisure Centre                                     and will remain closed until the redevelopment
                                                                works are completed in late 2022
   Construction has commenced on the $55.1
   million rebuild of St Albans Leisure Centre and              The new venue will include:
   state-of-the-art health and wellbeing hub.                   • Increased parking on-site, making the centre
   The venue will have:                                           more accessible.
                                                                • A dedicated learn to swim pool for
   • Two water slides.                                            swimming lessons.
   • A 50-metre, ten-lane competition pool with                 • A secluded, warm water pool for gentle
     access ramp.                                                 exercise and rehabilitation.
   • Leisure water and learn-to-swim program                    • An aqua play area for young people to play
     pool.                                                        and explore.
   • Warm Water program pool with adjoining                     • A crèche to support families’ health and
     spas.                                                        wellbeing needs.
   • Water play unit and splash pad.                            • Bigger change rooms that cater for
   • Sauna and steam room.                                        individuals, groups and families.
   • A large gym with 24-hour access.                           • Two indoor sports courts providing
   • Group fitness studios.                                       much-needed space for a range of local
   • Meeting and function rooms.                                  participants.
   • A wellness centre.                                         • Allied health suites to support your health
   • Community program room.                                      and wellness goals.
   • Other features will include a café, multiple               • Divided health and fitness areas for both
     wet and dry change rooms (including a                        ‘noisy’ and ‘quiet’ group exercise classes.
     family change room), and crèche.                           • Landscaped forecourt and café to meet,
                                                                  gather and socialise.
   More information: www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/
   council/about-brimbank-council-and-community/                More information: www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/
   developments/st-albans-leisure-centre-                       about-council/projects-and-major-works/new-kew-
   redevelopment                                                recreation-centre

34 2019/20 Victorian Public Pools: State of the Sector Report
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