ACT aquatic venues among Australia’s best for safety
Six out of six Belgravia Leisure managed ACT aquatic and leisure venues have once again achieved the highest level of independent aquatic safety accreditation, reinforcing their commitment to providing safe and welcoming places for the community to swim, learn and stay active.
All six venues successfully achieved 5-Star accreditation through Royal Life Saving NSW’s Aquatic Facility Safety Assessment (AFSA) program during 2025/26, with the ACT portfolio recording an average compliance score of 96.55 per cent and an average safety score of 95.66 per cent.
The results place the ACT venues among the strongest performing aquatic facilities in Australia and reflect the systems, training and operational standards that support thousands of community visits every week.
A standout performer was Gungahlin Leisure Centre, which achieved a perfect 100 per cent compliance score and a safety score of 98.52 per cent. The result saw the venue climb from 17th to 10th place on Belgravia Leisure’s national safety leaderboard.
The ACT’s newest Belgravia Leisure managed venue, Erindale Leisure Centre, also recorded an exceptional first result following its transition into the portfolio in August 2025. In its first independent assessment under Belgravia Leisure management, Erindale achieved a 96.43% compliance score and a 94.96% safety score.
Several venues also recorded year-on-year improvements. Stromlo Leisure Centre increased its compliance score by 2.7 per cent, while Gungahlin Leisure Centre further improved its already impressive safety performance.
Belgravia Leisure Business Operations Manager ACT Mat Pole said the results reflected a strong safety culture embedded across every ACT venue.
“The audit results are a great achievement, but what matters most is the work our teams do every day to create safe environments for the communities they serve. Safety is non-negotiable. These results reflect the commitment of our lifeguards, swim teachers, customer service teams, managers and operational leaders who work together to ensure our venues continue to meet the highest standards.”
Mat Pole, Business Operations Manager ACT
The independent assessments examine a broad range of operational areas including supervision, emergency preparedness, first aid, workplace health and safety, water quality management and aquatic operations.
ACT venues performed particularly strongly in workplace health and safety, first aid, plant and chemical management, leisure pools and interactive play areas, with a number of categories achieving or approaching perfect scores.
The results also showed ACT venues outperforming both Belgravia Leisure and industry benchmarks across a range of key safety measures including supervision, first aid, lap pools, leisure pools and aquatic play features.
While the assessments identified opportunities for further improvement in some specialist areas, all ACT venues maintained 5-Star accreditation and continued to demonstrate high standards of aquatic safety and operational excellence.
For local communities, the results provide confidence that their local pools and leisure centres remain among the safest places to swim, learn and be active.
ACT venues that achieved 5-Star accreditation in 2025/26 include:
- Gungahlin Leisure Centre
- Stromlo Leisure Centre
- Lakeside Leisure Centre
- Erindale Leisure Centre
- Canberra Olympic Pool
- Dickson Aquatic Centre
Safety by the numbers
- 6 out of 6 ACT venues achieved 5-Star accreditation
- 96.55% average compliance score across ACT venues
- 95.66% average safety score across ACT venues
- Gungahlin Leisure Centre achieved a perfect 100% compliance score
- ACT venues exceeded industry benchmarks across multiple key safety categories
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