Overview

The Tamworth Regional Aquatic Centre and Northern Inland Centre of Sport and Health will be a fully accessible aquatics facility for current and future generations.

The facility will be located within the Tamworth Sports and Entertainment Precinct, next to the existing hockey fields, and will have two key components:

Tamworth Regional Aquatic Centre

The Centre will be a fully accessible aquatics facility, combined with contemporary elements for swimming excellence, social engagement, fitness, health and active recreation, for current and future generations. It will have the potential to host elite events at regional and state levels, as well as athlete development and training pathway programs.

Northern Inland Centre of Sport and Health

This facility will provide a sports hub with business accommodation, integrated learning, sport and health research along with medical and allied health services. This facility will provide elite performance sport infrastructure, incorporating a versatile multipurpose indoor sports training facility. It will provide the opportunity for the community, athletes, sporting teams and school groups to partake in educational programs and high-performance training, in a modern indoor setting - promoting innovation in sports science, sports medicine and technology.

The facility will contribute to economic sustainability, growth and liveability for the Tamworth region, through employment generation, tourism and increased visitation associated with major sporting events and an extraordinary recreational facility.

This project is planned to be delivered in three stages.

The concept

Stage 1

Stage 1 components include:

Tamworth Regional Aquatic Centre

Northern Inland Centre of Sport and Health

  • Indoor 50m, 10 lane pool
  • Program pool
  • Spa and sauna
  • Gym - strength and cardio
  • Health and fitness rooms
  • Foyer, reception and cafe
  • Wet and dry lounge
  • Accessible amenities
  • Administration, offices, first aid
  • Plant and stores
  • Parking
  • Sports science testing lab
  • Allied health consulting rooms x 12
  • Program rehabilitation gym
  • Administration / sports house
  • Education and university teaching and meeting rooms
  • Reception and accessible amenities

Stage 2

Tamworth Regional Aquatic Centre

Northern Inland Centre of Sport and Health

  • Learn to swim and program pool
  • Leisure pool with water play
  • Functional gym including strength and conditioning
  • Indoor to outdoor sprint track

Stage 3

  • Outdoor water slides
  • Outdoor 50m, 10 lane pool
Concept design of centre

Objectives

Driving the development of the Tamworth Regional Aquatic Centre and the Northern Inland Centre of Sport and Health are the following objectives:

Funding

Council has secured $15 million through the NSW Government’s Centre of Excellence Fund and $9 million throught the Australian Government's Growing Regions Program. In August 2024, Councillors voted in support of making a co-contribution towards the project which is budgeted to cost $45 million.