ACT Pool Provisioning
Download table (CSV)
This map visualizes drive time access to aquatic facilities. Dark blue is fewer people; dark red is more.
Methodology
This dashboard shows pool availability by drive time for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), based on modified methods developed for the Royal Life Saving Australia 2025 State of Australian Aquatic Facilities Report (Houston et al., 2025).
Data Sources
- Facility data: The Royal Life Saving Australia National Aquatic Facility Database catalogues all publicly accessible pools in Australia, including public indoor/outdoor pools and privately operated but publicly accessible fitness centres, commercial swim schools, clubs, theme parks, and educational institutions. Facility locations were geocoded using latitude/longitude from publicly accessible maps (e.g., Google Maps).
- Population data (current): Statistical Area Level 1 (SA1) boundaries and 2021 ABS census counts (including SA1 age groups).
- Population data (projections): Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) estimates for 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029 sourced from Australian Capital Territory Government Population Projections, which are approximated by the ABS' SA2 levels (including age dissaggregation).
Methods
- Drive time accessibility: Isochrone polygons for 10-minute and 20-minute drive times were generated using the hereR package (R 4.4.1) with the HERE Technologies API. A conservative traffic assumption was applied by using average conditions on Wednesday at 5:00 PM.
- Population accessibility: For each selected pool (or group of pools), the proportion of each census area that falls within the isochrone is computed; that share is then multiplied by the area's population to estimate residents served and not served. This method assumes uniform spatial distribution of the population within each census area.
- Cohort analysis : Users can restrict metrics to specific age cohorts (e.g., 0–14). Coverage is then computed against only that cohort's population in each SA1 or SA2.
Notes and Limitations
- SA1 data are used for 2021 (current census), enabling age-cohort analysis.
- SA2 data are used for future projections (2025/2026/2027/2028/2029). Differences in scale and boundary definitions mean results can differ between SA1 and SA2.
- The uniform-within-area assumption may under- or over-estimate coverage in places with highly clustered or uneven populations.
- Facility coverage reflects the facilities included in the National Aquatic Facility Database at the time of compilation.