Update

A concept design for the upgraded spa area has now been developed. This design reflects what we heard during community engagement in late 2024, when members, users and the wider Hobart community, including people with disability and mobility needs, shared their ideas for the space.

The Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre (DKHAC) has been granted $250,000 from the Tasmanian Government to upgrade the spa, sauna and steam room in 2025.

The DKHAC has been a popular community facility for over 25 years and in 2025 the City of Hobart is planning to make improvements and enhance the experience of visitors using the spa, sauna and steam room areas. The upgrade is an exciting opportunity to ensure that all members, users and the broader Hobart community have the chance to share their ideas and needs prior to the design.

This engagement project will aim to gather feedback to help;

  • Inform the design and planning of the upgraded spa, sauna, steam room facilities
  • Assess the needs and requirements of all members of the community to make the facilities accessible for all
  • Identify potential new features to enhance the user experience.

The City of Hobart will appoint an external project manager to oversee project delivery. Timeframes will be confirmed once this appointment is made.

This project is still in the early development phase. During the construction phase, customers can expect a full closure of this area. Members and users will be notified as information becomes available about the closure and any impacts on access.

As part of the redevelopment, the steam room will be removed to allow for a larger sauna and to provide wheelchair access. Feedback from the community strongly supported an increased sauna capacity, and unfortunately there wasn’t sufficient space to retain the steam room while achieving this.

Delivering an accessible sauna aligns with the City’s commitment to improving accessibility across its facilities.

New spa area concept design

To view the concept design in full screen, click the expand icon in the top‑right corner. Once expanded, click on any icon to learn more about the features to be updated in the area.

You can also check Spa sauna Concept Design and Spa sauna Hydraulic design.

Key themes raised during engagement

The engagement review helped identify what matters most to people who use the facilities. Some of the key themes raised during engagement included:

  • Larger spa

    Increase the space in the spa and sauna to better accommodate users was highly asked during the engagement.

  • Cold plunge

    1 in 5 Idea wall comments asked for a cold plunge

  • Water fountain

    Water fountain was rated the most important feature overall on survey responses

  • Accessibility

    1 in 10 survey responses raised accessibility concerns. To address this, the concept design includes a spa hoist, extra space for safe movement, wheelchair parking, and a more accessible entry gate.

Have Your Say

Community Consultation was open from 1 Nov - 15 Dec 2024.

This included:

  • 189 Survey responses
  • 567 Idea wall submissions
  • 5 Pop-ups sessions
  • 3 Meetings with Accessibility groups