ARC Operational Benchmarking

Aquatic Recreation Centre Operational Benchmarking

Leisure Institute of Western Australia and Royal Life Saving WA are pleased to announce that expressions of interest are now open for the 2025 Operational Aquatic Recreation Centre (ARC) Benchmarking Project.

What is ARC Operational Benchmarking?

The ARC Operational Benchmarking project collects and shares financial and operational data from Group 1 Aquatic and Recreation Centres (ARCs) across both regional and metropolitan WA (facilities with casual pool entry). Each facility submits data across 55 indicators, including (but not limited to):

• Spatial area eg facility and program size

• Facility admissions and usage

• Facility members

• Learn to swim enrolments

• Asset information eg date built, replacement cost

• Labour information such as pay rates (eg Lifeguards, swim school); training costs; number of staff

• Income and expenses

• Utility consumption 

• Incidents

Project Benefits

The Operational Benchmarking Project will:

1. Enable facility managers to track annual performance across key management areas

2. Provide meaningful comparison with other facilities and industry standards

3. Highlight performance gaps and opportunities for improvement

4. Supply evidence-based data to support funding applications and capital works business cases

5. Provide industry benchmarks for advocacy and research

 Key Details and Information

• EOIs close: 1 September 2025. 
• Data collection period: 3rd September to 19th September  2025
• Results available: October 2025
• Confidentiality: All data collected is subject to a confidentiality agreement
• All users will be required to use either Microsoft Office 2021, Microsoft Office 2024 or Microsoft 365 as complex algorithms are used to perform the required data analysis.
• There are no costs associated with this project but we highly encourage you to become a LIWA member to support our industry projects.
• Workshops will be held for industry on both the data collection and how to use the data template results.
• This is an annual data collection project that is scheduled to occur in September each year.  

How to Apply
If you are interested in joining the project please email projects@liwaaquatics.org.au by 1 September 2025 stating your primary contact and the ARC name/s you would like to include in the project.  

An online meeting will be held on Wednesday 3rd September at 12 noon to go through the data collection template.  The meeting will take approximately 30 minutes.  For further information please contact Executive Officer Leith Fradd on 0451993526.