South Australian venues show significant safety improvements

South Australian Belgravia Leisure managed venues are showing significant improvements in aquatic safety assessments, with a 9% uplift in aquatic safety and compliance score scores year on year across venues. 
 

The top three venues demonstrating improvement in Aquatic Facility Safety Assessments (AFSA) were: 

• Hayden Stoeckel Swimming Pool (30.61% compliance score increase). 

• Renmark Swimming Pool (30.52% compliance score increase). 

• Port Pirie Aquatic Leisure Centre (22.53% compliance score increase). 

Wulanda Recreation & Convention Centre posted the highest final scores, reaching 97.87% compliance and 97.40% safety scores. This was helped by an in-depth review of the compliance of the venue following a safety incident in October 2024. 
 

This reinforces Belgravia Leisure as an industry leader in aquatic safety, achieving outstanding results across venues, far surpassing the national compliance industry average.    
 

“These results reflect the strong safety culture embedded within our teams. The significant improvements achieved highlight our commitment to continuous improvement, proactive risk management and the dedication of our team to deliver safe, high-quality aquatic environments for our communities,” said Naomi Jones, Venue Manager at Hayden Stoeckel Swimming Pool. 
 

“Our venue plays an important role in the health, wellbeing and connection of our local community and our top priority is to create a safe environment for families, schools and guests. These outcomes reflect our proactive approach to risk management and our ongoing commitment to delivering a trusted aquatic space for everyone,” added Sonia James, Venue Manager at Renmark Swimming Pool. 
 

Heidi Gajic, Venue Manager at Wulanda Recreation & Convention Centre, commented: 

“We strive to serve Mount Gambier and the Limestone Coast Region: achieving these outstanding safety and compliance scores reflects the hard work and commitment of our team to community safety which is never a one-time achievement. We’re proud to lead by example and ensure that every person who walks through our doors can enjoy aquatic activities with confidence and peace of mind.” 
 

For 2025/26, it is hopeful that further engagement with the Safety Team via Pool Safety Assessment Preparation sessions, the South Australian patch will have greater capacity to prepare for these assessments and use learnings from other states completing Pool Safety Assessments previously will assist venues in raising their performance. 
 

Scott Vanderheyden, General Manager – Health and Safety at Belgravia Leisure, says it takes momentum, commitment and an ‘always on’ approach to maintain high safety standards at a venue.  

“While we are proud of our results, there is always more work to be done. With a strong foundation for continued improvement and innovation in aquatic risk management, we are well positioned to keep elevating safety standards. I’m proud to work for a company that leads the industry in aquatic safety, where health and safety are non-negotiable priorities.” 
 

The AFSA is designed to provide swimming pool operators with a comprehensive overview of their safety standards. The assessment enables the development of a detailed report benchmarked against a range of industry, state and national standards, guidelines and legislative provisions.