21 Oct How smart entrance control can help your leisure facility shine over summer

Summer brings crowds to Australia’s aquatic and leisure centres, with families seeking relief from the heat and children making the most of school holidays.

Managing these peak-season visitor numbers smoothly while maintaining adequate security requires entrance control solutions designed for high-volume leisure environments that can handle the pressure.

Here are a few of our favourite examples to illustrate how successful speedstile installations at aquatic and leisure facilities can help them shine over summer.

Murray Aquatic & Leisure Centre

The installation of two EasyGate SG speedstiles at Murray Aquatic & Leisure Centre in Western Australia has transformed visitor flow while enhancing security for the busy community facility, which welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Before the gates were installed at the entrance, there was no physical barrier to stop customers admitted to the centre’s sports courts or gym accessing the aquatic area without paying. Additionally, all visitors with passes to use swimming facilities had to check in at reception, creating bottlenecks during peak periods.

With authorised swimmers using their passes to enter the aquatic area independently through the speedstiles, queues have become a thing of the past, swimmers’ possessions are more secure and there has been a reduction in unsupervised children.

Centre Manager Ben Jordan said the installation delivered immediate improvements.

“The gates have provided an increased level of security and safety. They also allow our customer service staff to spend more time with customers who need it because they aren’t so rushed or having to spend so much time trying to get swimmers tagged in.”

Leisurepark – Balga

Leisurepark – Balga is a popular community leisure centre in Western Australia’s City of Stirling, with more than 300,000 visits every year to its swimming pool, fitness centre, sports courts and meeting rooms.

Managing its substantial foot traffic effectively required entrance control that could handle peak periods, accommodate parents bringing young children, disabled visitors and manage different entrances to its fitness centre and swimming pool.

Entrance Control installed three lanes of EasyGate SG speedstiles for pool access and two lanes for gym access. The 1,000mm wide gates comply with the Disability Discrimination Act and comfortably accommodate wheelchairs, as well as extra-wide buggies and prams.

The speedstiles’ glass barriers were sandblasted with ‘Entry’ and ‘Exit’ markings to provide clear guidance for visitors. Integration with the facility’s management software enabled automated entry using access cards, while staff can manually control the gates through an administration terminal when needed.

Facility Manager Luke Ellis said the speedstiles simplified access for visitors, which has had a big impact.

“With the new speedgates, it’s very clear what is an entry or exit. We’re finding the speed of access has greatly improved.”

Keilor East Leisure Centre

A key part of the $52 million revamp of Melbourne’s Keilor East Leisure Centre was the installation of four lanes of EasyGate SPT speedstiles and a separate SwingGate to streamline entry for its visitors.

Casual users are now channelled towards reception, while members can scan themselves through to the aquatic area – saving time for staff.

Operations Manager Lauren Shaw said feedback from staff and members using the gates had been positive.

“Regular members have not had any issues at all and find the speedstiles accessible for wheelchairs and prams.”

The speedstiles are armoured with polished 316 stainless steel to protect against corrosion from pool sanitisation chemicals, adapting to the environment perfectly.

Setting facilities up for summer success

These installations demonstrate how quality tailored entrance control can handle the summer crowds effectively and save time for staff, all the while offering a stylish welcome.

Entrance Control General Manager Michael Bystram said entrance control technology really proved its worth for leisure and aquatic centres over the summer peak period.

“Facilities that invest in appropriate speedstile solutions find they can manage peak crowds smoothly while maintaining robust security and supporting the positive customer experience that keeps families returning throughout the season.”