Closure of the 25-year-old facility should coincide with the opening of the city’s $109m recreation centre at Cockburn Central West in early 2017.
The city has allocated $200,000 to decommission the facility on South Lake Drive, with the building likely to be gifted to the Education Department.
A report to councillors before June’s budget meeting said making that move would mean the city would need to write off the remaining value of the asset, which is about $3.3m.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWA draft deed of agreement for the hand- over has been negotiated between the two parties, with the council yet to formally accept it.
Cockburn’s finance and corporate services director Stuart Downing said the move would not have an impact on the financial viability of the council.
“The write-off is non-cash and will not impact on the delivery of any service or capital project,” he said. As first reported in the Gazette last year, Lakelands Senior High School will use part of the facility to accommodate its growing student numbers, which have been boosted by the addition of Year 7 students in recent years.
The department is unlikely to continue to operate the aquatic facility.
Cockburn’s recreation and community safety manager Rob Avard said the city would remove all hazardous equipment to leave the building and the external areas in a safe and usable state.
The South Lake complex was opened in 1991 as a joint initiative between the city and Education Department.
Cockburn ARC will be considerably larger with heated pools, water slides, spas, multiple sports courts, a gym and separate fitness studios, specialist community facilities and a cafe.
The Fremantle Dockers will also call the new facility home.