The ACT government has been accused of a classic political "bait and switch" after confirming it has scrapped plans for a dedicated Olympic-standard diving pool from its flagship $138 million aquatic centre project.
Promises Broken, Community Left High and Dry
For years, the Labor-Greens government assured Canberrans that replacing the ageing Civic pool complex would not mean a loss of facilities. The public was promised a like-for-like relocation to a shiny new aquatic centre in Commonwealth Park. However, Sport and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry and Chief Minister Andrew Barr have now admitted the dedicated diving pool has been axed from the plans, citing "budget constraints" and "site feasibility" issues.
This decision marks the latest in a long line of broken promises to the local diving community. Previous assurances included a dive pool as part of a second stage at the Stromlo Leisure Centre—a stage that never materialised—and a flagged facility for West Basin, which was quietly abandoned. The government's latest offering is a vague commitment to "consider" building a competition-grade facility "somewhere else" in Canberra at an unspecified future date.
A Provincial Embarrassment for the National Capital
The loss of a competition-grade diving pool is a significant blow for a national capital and an Olympic sport where Australia excels. Effectively, young local athletes are being told to move to Sydney if they wish to pursue elite diving dreams. The situation has enraged swimming and diving enthusiasts, who now face less access to aquatic facilities than previous generations.
The territory's aquatic strategy is in disarray. With the 50-metre pool at Phillip gone and the Big Splash in Macquarie under threat, the government's piecemeal approach is failing the community. The new Commonwealth Park centre, when built, will not provide the same facilities as the old Civic pool it is meant to replace—a direct contradiction to what was promised just weeks ago.
Symptom of a Broader Failure to Deliver
The diving pool saga is symptomatic of a broader pattern where the government's grand visions fail to match its delivery. With budgets stretched by spending on health, education, and light rail, public facilities are being neglected. Canberrans are growing weary of promised stadiums that never arrive, the sale of private pool facilities for apartments, and the condemnation of public assets without proper replacement.
While fiscal pressures are real, the government's rapid pivot from "diving is being considered" to "diving is not on" appears fundamentally disingenuous. It suggests community consultation is a mere box-ticking exercise, with results discarded when they conflict with a pre-determined, cost-cutting outcome. For the diving community and many residents, this episode confirms that in the ACT, "considering" a facility is often political shorthand for a slow walk to its demise.
