Changing Places for Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre

A dedicated Changing Places facility is one of the many features being included at NARC to remove barriers, so everyone in the community can enjoy.

Darebin residents of all abilities will be able to enjoy the accessible Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre (NARC) when it opens mid-late next year.

A dedicated Changing Places facility is one of the many features being included at NARC to remove barriers, so everyone in the community can enjoy the new complex.

Local artist Clare Whitney says having a Changing Places at NARC will mean her family can swim at their local pool with friends and family.

She says it will give her daughter Lexi, who lives a full life with Cerebral Palsy, “her own sense of self within the community.”

“Having Changing Places is so critical because you have your own key,” Clare says.

“There is always a family in the disability change room when we need it, and we find ourselves outside waiting while Lexi is freezing. Most people who are physically disabled don’t have the movement to jump up and down and stay warm, so if those spaces aren’t available, other methods of staying warm like moving around or quickly drying off by the side of the pool aren’t an option.”

For Clare, accessible redevelopments like the Northcote Aquatic and Recreation Centre help families and friends spend time together, rather than having to separate into different areas.

Council is grateful to have received a $26,152 contribution from the Victorian Government towards the construction of the Changing Places facility. This was part of the Victorian Government’s $5.4 million in grants awarded to ensure popular tourist destinations, community facilities and public spaces are more inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Clare provided feedback during Council’s community engagement for the redevelopment of NARC, and is pleased her suggestions, including a Changing Places facility, accessible parking and a warm water pool have been included.

“The warm water pool is so important as the temperature of the main pool is often too cold, so a warm water pool that is big enough for movement and to do exercise in is critical,” she says.

“To have a safe place to move and be how they need to be is awesome - for a lot of people, the risk of swallowing water or being around kids and adults who are jumping in and out of pools can be risky.”

Clare observes that access is often the biggest barrier for people living with disability in the community, and that it is this, rather than disability that prevents people from engaging in events.

“When accessibility is integrated into facilities and infrastructure for new buildings and community spaces, it allows people to live to their greatest potential,” she says.