YMCA opens $36 million Stromlo Leisure Centre

Lydia, Arlington, 3, Chloe, 6, and Lyndon Cox of Pearce made a splash at the Stromlo Leisure Centre opening on Saturday. Picture: Elesa Kurtz

The first splashes were made this week at the new Stromlo Leisure Centre ahead of its opening to members on Saturday.

The$36 millionfacility, which includes a 50-metre pool and creche, opened to the public this weekend.

YMCA-managed, the centre was designed to serve the more than 100,000 Canberrans in Weston Creek, Woden and the Molonglo Valley.

The facility will also become the new home of the Woden Valley Swim Club, a move president Marcus Stokes said the club had been working towards for some time.

Mr Stokes said the move would allow the club, which previously trained at the leisure centre in Tuggeranong, to grow.

Minister for sport Yvette Berry said the Molonglo Valley was growing rapidly and Stromlo Forest Park was fast becoming a hub for sport in the ACT.

Alex Northbourne, 3 of Weston Creek enjoying the new Stromlo Leisure Centre opening. Picture: Elesa Kurtz

"It's important that Canberrans have access to facilities that will allow them to live a healthy and active lifestyle," she said.

"The ACT consistently has the highest sport participation rates in the country."

The opening comes after an announcement last week the ACT government would provide additional support to Canberra's sport sector to help meet the challenges of COVID-19.

The support package will see hire fees waived at government sportsgrounds, Stromlo Forest Park criterium and running tracks and public education facilities for a further six months, until March 2021.

Pool and lane hire fees at all ACT Government aquatic facilities will also be waived for community and commercial groups to March.

In a statement, Ms Berry said it was clear that COVID-19 was going to continue to cause disruption to our lives for some time, so government was looking at ways to ease the burden on community sporting organisations as they came into the summer sports season.

"These measures will help sporting organisations continue to employ staff, meet the needs of their members and stay financially viable," Ms Berry said.

The Stromlo Leisure Centre will operate under an online-booking system for non-members to abide by coronavirus social-distancing, until restrictions are eased further.