Swimming season is back, and this year it comes with a major discount. City of Newcastle will launch a $2 pool entry fee trial across four of its inland pools when doors open this Saturday.
The trial, running throughout the 2025/26 swimming season, will apply at Beresfield, Mayfield, Stockton and Wallsend pools.
Councillors voted in favour of the initiative earlier this year, with overwhelming support from the community during consultation. The move aims to make cooling off more affordable and accessible for all Novocastrians.
Lambton Park War Memorial Swimming Centre is not part of the trial. With its four pools, waterslide and aquatic playground, the facility will continue to offer an all-day pass at $6, still among the cheapest in the region for centres with similar attractions.
The season also launches with more than $1 million in upgrades across Newcastle’s pool network. Lambton reopened in August with a new accessibility platform, fresh paintwork, non-slip surfaces and three new heat pumps.
Beresfield’s solar heating has been upgraded, Stockton families will find new playgrounds, barbecues and shaded areas, while Mayfield and Wallsend have received lighting and security improvements.
Outside the pool gates, lifeguards will be back on patrol at all six Newcastle beaches from Saturday, adding to the year-round supervision at Merewether and Newcastle Ocean Baths.
The summer season also sees the return of the Trainee Beach Lifeguard Program, which gives high school students from local surf clubs the chance to work alongside professional lifeguards.
The 2025/26 swimming season kicks off this Saturday with $2 entry at all pools except Lambton, which remains at $6 for an all-day ticket. For full details on patrol hours and lifeguard programs, visit the City of Newcastle website.
