Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre has been accredited with Life Saving Victoria’s (LSV’s) prized Platinum Pool award. In doing so, the facility joins an exclusive club of just 38 Victorian aquatic facilities currently holding the accreditation.

Platinum Pool status is awarded to aquatic facilities providing outstanding levels of safety. To achieve the award, Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre had to undertake a rigorous series of assessments to ensure it met all of LSV’s criteria for the accreditation.

LSV General Manager – Public Training and Pool Safety, Andy Dennis, said the award is a way of recognising those facilities that have attained the highest level of safety requirements and standards. “The award is similar to accrediting a lifesaver, and therefore facilities must undergo a thorough assessment of their skills and performance and attain a high standard throughout,” Mr Dennis said.

“We are very selective when awarding Platinum Pool accreditation. LSV must be satisfied that exemplary levels of aquatic safety are being achieved and constantly maintained before the award is issued,” he said.

Included in the award is an industry leading Pool Safety Assessment, a six-monthly assessment on implementation, Mystery Guest Visits and adherence to the best practice ‘Watch Around Water’ child supervision program.

Facilities that have qualified for the Platinum Pool award are certified and provided with internal materials within the facility. The accreditation is valid for twelve months and forms an important component of the overall safety planning and continual improvement strategy.

After a tumultuous year of COVID-19 related restrictions and closures, receiving the LSV Platinum Pool Award has been welcome news to the team at Aquarena.

Acting Centre Manager, Aquarena Aquatic and Leisure Centre, Bobby Savic, explained, “We have been planning quite strategically to become qualified for the Platinum Pool Award since 2018. It’s fair to say it took time, knowledge and commitment to see things through, but this proves that achieving greatness takes time.”

“We are fortunate to have such a great team at Aquarena, where everyone takes ownership of what they need to do. We are incredibly dynamic and hungry to continue to achieve and improve wherever possible,” he said.

Mr Savic is incredibly grateful to the team and says, “it was a team effort, and we equally shared the work that went into winning the award. Some notable mentions go to the following key players; Aylie Spence, Katrina Morris, Katarina Behan, Olivia Lie and the operations team. We would also like to extend a massive thank you to our partners at Manningham Council for their support.”

“We are extremely proud that Aquarena is a premium facility in the country with a high focus on safety and industry compliance, ensuring the best experience for our community” Mr Savic concluded.