Forty one swimming carnivals, 821 kids learning to swim and a whopping 4000 people through the turnstiles on Australia Day - Maitland Aquatic Centre is going along swimmingly.
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The figures were included in a review of the city's two pools - the document testament to the hard work of staff at both centres, according to Maitland councillors.
The review was presented in an officer's report to Tuesday night's council meeting and sealed the deal for the pools, once earmarked for privatisation, to remain under Maitland City Council's jurisdiction.
In 2015 there were fears about safety, entry fees and general standards at Maitland's council-run pools amid moves to privatise management at the aquatic centres.
Maitland councillors voted to open up the tender process for both centres and three private companies were to be invited to submit business cases on how they would run the facilities. Council was to prepare its own proposal to throw into the mix but the privatisation never went ahead.
Maitland Aquatic Centre's attendance figures jumped from 99,230 in the 2014-15 financial year to 170,376 in the last financial year.
The review showed how both Maitland and East Maitland centres were performing 'relatively well from an attendance and percentage cost recovery perspective, particularly given their limited and overlapping catchment areas.'
Maitland's new $9.7 million indoor swimming pool which opened in July 2017, has also been a draw card.
Key performance highlights for Maitland pool included:
. 821 enrolled Learn to Swim participants each week.
. An average of 109 Aqua program participants each week during March.
. 41 swimming carnivals across the two sites in 2017/2018.
. More than 25 community groups regularly accessing facilities (sports, health services).
. Emergency services training for NSW Fire and Ambulance Industry Training courses held onsite by Royal Life Saving NSW and Austswim.
. More than 4000 attendances at Maitland pool on Australia Day.
Both pools achieved over 90 per cent for the past two seasons in a NSW Aquatic Facility Assessment (five star rating).
"The Maitland Aquatic Centres Review has identified that while the operational management model of Maitland Aquatic Centres has been in a state of change, the centres have performed well in accordance with industry benchmarking from an attendance and percentage cost recovery perspective," the report said.
"Based on the review findings, the centres current performance provides a solid foundation to continue to build upon. With a strategic and targeted approach to planning for the centres programs and services in line with the opportunities detailed in this report and review, the Maitland Aquatics Centres could steadily shift to be an even greater asset for the LGA."
Cr Ben Whiting said the news was "very much a success story for our city."
"It shows that measured against all benchmarks we have done a great job," Cr Whiting said.
He said that a reported 70 per cent cost recovery for Maitland pool was something that should be lauded by the community and celebrated.
"Again it's good to see the management of our pools not being privatised like other local government areas. This means job security," Cr Whiting said.
Total attendance across both centres during the last financial year was 210,000.
