Royal Life Saving NSW to run Country Pool Managers Conference
For 28 years, the Country Pool Managers Conference has given rural swimming pool managers in New South Wales an opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge, make friends and learn about new technologies, methods and regulations.
Then, the organiser Kerry Lynch said the conference was no longer viable and the one held in May would have to be the last one. He said the decision was based on a number of changes in the rural and regional pool management world: changing demographics, ageing population of managers, and an increase in the number of pools being managed by large management groups.
Now, Royal Life Saving NSW has confirmed it will step forward to continue the long-standing annual gathering for regional and remote pool managers. While the event will move forward under a refreshed name, RLS NSW says it will honour the traditions, culture and purpose built over more than three decades through the Country Pool Managers Conference.
In a media release, RLS NSW says that, with changes to the previous organising arrangements leaving a gap for 2026, they recognise how important this forum has been – and continues to be – for country pool managers, councils and aquatic teams across NSW. For many communities, it has provided a trusted space for learning, sharing experiences, and supporting one another through the unique challenges of operating regional aquatic centres.
RLS NSW extends its sincere appreciation to those who built and sustained this legacy, especially long-time coordinator Kerry Lynch, whose exceptional 30-year contribution shaped the event into an inclusive and valued gathering. This recognition also extends to all past organisers, volunteers and industry partners whose efforts have supported the conference’s success.
The release says that RLS NSW will retain the spirit and core elements that have made the conference so successful, while carefully transitioning it to address today’s operational pressures, workforce needs, regulatory changes and modern challenges facing regional aquatic facilities. They say the aim is continuation — not reinvention — with gradual enhancements guided by operators, councils and industry partners.
They say there has been clear encouragement from within the sector for RLS NSW to assume this role.
The following people are quoted:
Gary Johnson, Pool Supervisor at Tamworth Regional Council:
“Given the culture the Country Pool Managers Conference has developed over the past three decades and the unique need for such an event, I wholeheartedly support the idea of a resourced organisation like Royal Life Saving stepping up to continue to support regional NSW pool operators in a similar forum.”
Chad McCamley, Aquatic Facilities Coordinator at Cessnock City Council:
“It was my great honour that the team at Cessnock City Council hosted the NSW Country Pool Managers Conference in May 2025 – one of the best in recent memory. The conference was the largest in many years, attracting over 150 delegates and 60 trade displays. With the news that the 2025 event was the last, I fully support Royal Life Saving NSW in managing and delivering an annual regional aquatics event moving forward.”
RLS NSW confirms that the 2026 event will be held on the last weekend in May in Mudgee, with the exact dates, program outline and registration details to be released in the coming weeks.
They say they look forward to working closely with operators across NSW to ensure this much-loved forum continues – preserving its history while supporting the future of regional aquatic communities.
IMAGE: Trade floor at Bathurst in 2023
