Macquarie Park as the preferred site for a new aquatic facility in Port Macquarie, replacing the current pool on Gordon Street.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council weighed up six possible new sites - Macquarie Park (Gordon Street), Dixie Park (Aston Street), Findlay Park (Findlay Avenue), Upper Oxley Oval (Pacific Drive), Thrumster Sporting Complex (College Drive) and Wayne Richards Park (Koala Street).

Upgrading the existing pool site was another possibility.

The council reconfirmed Macquarie Park as the preferred site for a new aquatic centre at its September 18 meeting.

The project has been a long-standing item for council and on completion will address several challenges including ageing infrastructure issues at the current pool. It will also meet future health and recreational requirements of the community which is expected to grow to 100,000 residents by 2030.

The primary existing user group of Macquarie Park impacted by development of the Port Macquarie Aquatic Facility is Port Macquarie Football Club (Port FC).

Port FC use this venue as their home ground for training and matches. Council has consulted with the club over the Macquarie Park site selection and its relocation and identified Wayne Richards Park as a suitable venue for a home ground. It is however, dependent upon the planned Thrumster Sporting Complex being constructed to allow for Football Mid North Coast's high-performance program to vacate Wayne Richards Park.

Macquarie Park is also used by the Port Macquarie Army Cadets and council staff are now committed to identifying a suitable relocation alternative for this user group.

A project steering group was endorsed in December 2019 and will assist council into the strategic concept design phase which will also involve further community engagement.

A tender process for strategic concept design services will be undertaken in the first half of the new financial year with a report to be tabled to a future council meeting for the awarding of this tender.

Deputy mayor Cr Lisa Intemann said the consultation with sporting and community groups has been extensive and no objections had been received.

Cr Lee Dixon said he is looking forward to seeing progress on the project and a great outcome for the community.

Greg Freeman, Port Macquarie Aquatic Centre Committee spokesperson, is hoping local companies can be engaged to undertake preliminary site investigations.

"The Port Macquarie Aquatic Centre will be an expensive project and may well need to be staged, unless we can secure a Federal or State grant for a large part of the project," Mr Freeman said.

"Our group has explained before to council how a new aquatic facility would add enormous value from an economic and social perspective to the whole region, so we need to keep the pressure on council to deliver it.

"In terms of infrastructure projects, this would present a fantastic opportunity to inject funds into our town, as well as replace the current 50 year old leaking and inadequate Olympic pool."

Council is meeting this month (June) to discuss funding priorities in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

Mr Freeman is hoping funding the new aquatic facility is high on the list of priorities.

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