Originally published in NT News on 30 August 2026
Darwin’s reputation as a great place to live, visit and compete continues to grow, and this week I’m particularly excited about an opportunity involving Swimming Australia that was considered by Council this week.
City of Darwin provided in-principal support for a proposed six-year partnership with Swimming Australia from 2027 to 2032, which would see Darwin host high-performance swimming camps in the lead-up to major international competitions and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The proposal follows several successful training and staging camps already held in Darwin.
At the centre of the opportunity is Parap Pool, Darwin’s only World Aquatics-compliant facility. Its temperature-controlled pools, electronic scoreboard and timing equipment make it particularly well suited to elite competition and training.
For our city, the benefits extend well beyond the pool.
High-performance camps bring athletes, coaches and support staff to Darwin for extended periods, generating activity for local accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and other services. They also create opportunities for our community to connect with elite sport and for young Territorians to see some of Australia’s best athletes training in their own backyard. There is also a longer-term opportunity to use a partnership of this nature to advocate for further investment in Darwin’s aquatic infrastructure as Australia builds towards Brisbane 2032.
Darwin has a genuine competitive advantage as a warm-weather training destination, and opportunities such as this allow us to build on that strength.
Council’s in-principal support is an important first step. Any final agreement would need to clearly define access arrangements, community impacts and the benefits delivered for Darwin, but the opportunity to position our city as part of Australia’s preparation for Brisbane 2032 is one worth pursuing.
It is another example of how we can use our existing assets more strategically - attracting visitors, supporting local business, creating opportunities for our community and continuing to raise Darwin’s profile on the national stage.
There was plenty more on Council’s agenda this month, including how we continue to listen to our community and measure our performance.
Council considered the future introduction of an annual Community Satisfaction Survey, which will help track community priorities, experiences with Council services and areas for improvement. Timing will be considered alongside the rollout of our new Customer Relationship Management system and development of our next long-term strategic plan.
We also reviewed several Council policies and confirmed Elected Member representation across our executive and advisory committees, which cover areas including youth, reconciliation, development, trees and risk management.
Good Local Government is ultimately about getting the fundamentals right while continuing to look for opportunities that make Darwin an even better place to live.
And whether it is bringing major sporting opportunities to our city, improving how we listen to residents or strengthening the way Council operates, that is exactly where our focus remains.
Peter Styles, Lord Mayor of Darwin