The South Australian opposition says it will rebuild the Adelaide Aquatic Centre if it wins next month's state election.
Labor says the $80 million facility would be built by 2026 and would be funded and operated by the state government, rather than Adelaide City Council, which manages the existing centre.
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the current centre was in dire need of upgrade, with many areas closed.
He said the new facility would be built on or near the current site, in North Adelaide, and no parkland would be lost under the proposal.
"If we can build it on the precise, existing site, then we will do that, but we want to make sure that that is consistent obviously with engineering reports and community consultation," he said.
"One of the downsides of building on precisely the same location is necessarily we would have to close the centre while we build the new one."
The Adelaide Football Club made an unsolicited proposal in 2019 to take over the centre but decided against it after COVID-19 put it in a more difficult financial position.
Treasurer Rob Lucas said the state government had been in discussions with the council over a "considerable period of time" to jointly fund a replacement aquatic centre with help from the federal government.
He said the government was only planning to spend $30 million on preliminary works for its proposed Riverbank Arena over the next three years.
Labor has derided it as a basketball stadium and says it would spend the $700 million allocated for it on the health system.
Funding announced for drag strip
Premier Steven Marshall this morning announced the state government would contribute $2.5 million towards a $30 million drag racing strip at The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend.
Modelling suggests the arena will attract 120,000 visitors a year and will be the only strip of its kind in the state.
Owner Sam Shahin said it was crucial in the development of the sport in the region.
"I expect thousands — tens of thousands — to come to South Australia to participate or spectate what we've been deprived of for so long in this country for a long, long time," he said.
The government also announced a $12.4 million state government grant to go towards 536 new electric vehicle charging stations to be installed across South Australia by the Royal Automobile Association (RAA).
