Equal Access to Public Aquatic Facilities – Guidance for Local Councils, Facility Managers and the Aquatic Sector

Project Member(s): Goldblatt, B.

Funding or Partner Organisation: Royal Life Saving Society - Australia
Royal Life Saving Society - Australia

Start year: 2022

Summary: Public aquatic facilities are cherished community resources in Australia. They bring significant social and economic benefits to our country due to their important role in water safety and healthy lifestyles. They also provide valuable opportunities for recreation and community building. These facilities are becoming increasingly important with climate change as urban areas face hotter temperatures. As public resources, aquatic facilities are understood to be equally available to all Australians no matter who they are and where they live. However, historically these facilities have been contested spaces. But are these battles behind us and are public swimming facilities equally accessible to all? Discrimination law and equality theory recognise that formally equal approaches (such as the removal of race or gender bars to entry) are not enough to achieve substantive equality. Further and ongoing effort is required to ensure that disadvantaged groups feel welcome and able to access and use these facilities on an equal basis with others in the community. The proposed study aims to provide guidance to local councils, aquatic facility managers and the aquatic sector on how to ensure aquatic facilities are equal and inclusive spaces that respect diversity and contribute to building fairer communities in line with human rights and discrimination law.

FOR Codes: Law and society and socio-legal research, Domestic human rights law, Social Class and Inequalities