The Perth leisure centre recognised as one of the best
The award was presented at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre during the Leisure Institute of WA's annual Aquatic and Recreation Conference and Trade Show.
The win follows the completion of a two-stage $14.5 million redevelopment of Stirling Leisure last year, supported by $1m in State Government funding.
The project included the construction of the largest public outdoor lap pool in the southern hemisphere, holding 2.5 million litres of water across 14 lanes. The facility underwent a $14.5 million redevelopment last year. Credit: Facebook
It also has a submersible swim wall that enables the 50m pool to be split into two 25m pools, which enables a range of activities to run simultaneously.
In a WA-first, the upgrade also introduced Lynxight aquatic safety technology, powered by artificial intelligence.
The system alerts lifeguards in real time via smartwatches when it detects a potential safety risk in the pool.
The city plans to roll out the system at Stirling Leisure in Balga next year.
Mayor Mark Irwin said being the inaugural winner of the award was an honour for the city and everyone involved with Stirling Leisure.
'Innovation was at the core of the redevelopment, which transformed an ageing aquatic centre into a first-rate facility that will serve the community for many years to come,' he said.
'A lot of effort has gone into making this a high-performing and inclusive centre and that effort has led to a significant increase in membership.'
This award is the second year the facility has been recognised at the WA Aquatic Recreation Industry Awards after winning the aquatic facility safety award in 2024.
The award was introduced as a new category in 2025 to recognise aquatic centres that deliver strong community impact and innovation in design, development and operation.
The City of Stirling also received a highly commended award, with senior operations officer Shelby Hyde acknowledged in the aquatic technical operator of the year category.
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