Making a splash this summer

The City of Ballarat is encouraging residents to make the most of Ballarat’s many splash parks and swimming pools this summer.  
 
The Ballarat region has just about every area covered when it comes to finding a place to cool off and enjoy a summer soak. There is a swimming pool or a splash park within easy reach of everyone in Ballarat and all offer something a little different.  

Splash parks have become a family favourite due to their convenience and accessibility. With shady surrounds for parents to relax under, the Midlands Reserve and Sebastopol splash parks offer a fun way of staying cool.  

The City of Ballarat will continue to manage and develop its aquatic facilities in line with the community’s needs. The Midlands Reserve Splash Park is a great example of this — it recently received a $350,000 upgrade, fully funded by the City of Ballarat. The new installations include:  

• A turf community green. 
• Two shelters and picnic settings. 
• New tree plantings and garden beds. 
• A junior natural play space with cubbies and accessible play items. 
• Improved drainage and new granite sand paths. 

City of Ballarat crews have been busy getting the Eureka swimming pool ready for the new season, with lots of improvements. These include:  

• New lap clocks. 
• New boilers to improve consistency with pool temperatures. 
• A facelift to the kiosk area. 
• A new coffee machine. 
• New lane ropes. 

City of Ballarat Councillor Ben Taylor said Ballarat's aquatic centres and splash parks are a critical part of the community’s health and wellbeing, particularly in summer. 

“They are great places to meet friends, socialise, have a barbecue, relax and enjoy a very safe and inclusive play space,” he said.  

“No matter whether you are a serious swimmer or an occasional one, or whether you use a pool for rehab, learning to swim or just for cooling off on a hot day, there is a great choice of swimming pools on offer.” 

One the best ways to enjoy the swimming pools is with a BALC membership — it’s an affordable way of gaining unlimited access to all pools. A BALC membership provides community members with access to all the City of Ballarat’s aquatic facilities. These include:  

• Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre (BALC) — featuring a 25m pool, a 50m pool, a learn to swim pool, a warm water multipurpose pool, a spa, a steam room and other non-water-related facilities, BALC is in the Prince of Wales Recreation Reserve, Gillies Street North, Lake Garden.  
   
• Eureka Aquatic Centre — a seasonal facility featuring a heated outdoor 50m pool, a learn to swim pool, a shaded toddlers pool, an outdoor water play park, playground, kiosk and BBQ facilities. Eureka Aquatic Centre is in Stawell Street, Ballarat East.  
   
• Black Hill Aquatic Centre — a seasonal facility featuring a solar heated 25m outdoor pool, toddlers pool, and BBQ and picnic facilities. Black Hill Aquatic Centre is in Chisholm Street, Black Hill.  
   
• Buninyong Aquatic Centre — a seasonal facility featuring a solar heated 25m outdoor pool, a shaded toddlers pool, a BBQ and picnic facilities. Buninyong Aquatic Centre is in Forest Street, Buninyong.  
   
• Brown Hill Aquatic Centre — a seasonal facility featuring an unheated 30m pool, a toddler's pool, and BBQ and picnic facilities. Brown Hill Aquatic Centre is in Humffray Street North, Brown Hill.  
   
• Midland Reserve Splash Park — an outdoor water splash park that also features BBQs, a shaded area, public toilets and a playground. This water play facility is in Midlands Reserve, Doveton Street North, Ballarat North.  
   
• Sebastopol Splash Park — an outdoor water splash park that also features BBQs, a shaded area, public toilets and a playground. This water play facility is in Victory Park, Vickers Street, Sebastopol.  

For information on outdoor pool opening hours, prices and memberships, visit the BALC website.