ABOUT US
City Venue Management
We are the industry leader in Aquatics & Sporting Facility Management.
City Venue Management (CVM) is an experienced operations and management group, offering safer, high-quality, vibrant, and well-maintained aquatic, leisure, and sporting facilities. Each facility serves as a vital community hub that promotes healthy and active lifestyles.
Our commitment to creating mutually beneficial solutions for all stakeholders is a cornerstone of our partnership-based approach. We align our strategy with the community benefits we provide and the value we offer property owners, focusing on sustainable earnings.
Our mission to deliver aquatic education and promote community well-being is embedded in our DNA, driven by our founder Reece Rackley’s vision of accessible, inclusive environments for health and aquatic education.
WHAT WE DO?
Creating Experiences that Delight and Engage
At City Venue Management, we believe that every moment spent in our venues is an opportunity to move, to connect, and to grow. From the splash of a child’s first swim to the focused determination of an athlete in training, our spaces empower people to live active, healthy, and meaningful lives.
Renowned in Aquatic & Sporting Facility Management, our partnership-based, sustainable approach drives both community benefits and revenue growth. With a proven track record in enhancing facility performance and increasing attendance, our experienced team collaborates with various stakeholders to ensure optimal outcomes. Recognised with several industry awards, CVM is dedicated to the efficient and effective management of each facility we oversee.
OUR HISTORY
The Early Days.
With roots stretching back to the 1950s, City Venue Management launched in 1998 after becoming responsible for multiple aquatic, health and leisure facilities in Southeast Queensland.
THE EARLY DAYS
In the late 90s, the Burleigh Beach Swim Centre established itself as an iconic Gold Coast swim school — managed by the Rackley family. This success led the family to expand, managing larger government aquatic facilities and operating six Rackley Family Swim Schools across the east coast of Australia by 2008.
THE CURRENT AND FUTURE PICTURE
In 2013, the Rackley Family company restructured and relaunched as City Venue Management, focusing on four core business areas:
City Aquatics (Facility Management) — Working closely with venue owners to maintain, grow and improve their assets.
Rackley Swimming (Swim School Management) — Delivering high-quality Learn to Swim programs for children of all ages and abilities.
City Health Club (Health Club Management) — Operating health club facilities became another company strong suit, as well as an important part of our facility management product mix.
Stadium Management — Expanding our venue management expertise into multi-sport and court-based facilities. We manage the venue experience, from court hire, bookings and timetables to competitions, programs and day-to-day operations. We creating active, welcoming spaces that maximise participation, facility utilisation and opportunities for people to play, connect and stay active.
Lagoon Management — Managing purpose-built recreational lagoons as flagship community destinations, combining the appeal of beach-style swimming with the operational rigour of a managed aquatic facility. From water quality and lifeguarding to programming, events, and visitor experience, we oversee every aspect to ensure these iconic spaces remain safe, vibrant, and central to community life.
• At the heart of the business was Rackley Family Swim Schools at the iconic Burleigh Beach Swim Centre, teaching local children to swim, building relationships with generations of families and establishing the values that still shape our business today.
• Our private swim school network continued to grow, with our third and fourth locations opening at Currumbin on the Gold Coast and Lewisham in Sydney.
• We secured our second council contract at Runcorn Pool for Brisbane City Council, reinforcing our growing reputation as a trusted aquatic operator.
• CVM successfully secured five of the six facilities, tendering jointly with NSW-based BlueFit.
• Rackley Family Swim Schools and BlueFit formed an operating agreement and established BlueFit Leisure, creating a new facility management group.
• It marked a major turning point for the business as we moved decisively into the growing leisure and recreation management sector.
2009 – 2012: A period of extraordinary growth
Over the following three years, our portfolio under the BlueFit Leisure Group grew rapidly, peaking at 32 facilities.
For the first time, the business extended well beyond swimming pools and swim schools, managing a diverse portfolio of aquatic, fitness and leisure facilities, golf courses, sporting fields and courts.
It was a period that challenged us, expanded our thinking and helped shape the capability that would ultimately become City Venue Management.
• New leases were established with Scenic Rim Regional Council at Canungra and Tamborine Mountain.
• We acquired a six-year lease at Kingston.
• Brisbane City Council appointed us as interim manager of Chermside and Centenary Aquatic Centres, with both facilities later transitioning into leases.
The Rackley Group emerged with 14 Queensland facilities, providing the platform from which the next era of the business would be built.
We secured new leases with the City of Gold Coast at Helensvale and Miami, deepening our connection with the Gold Coast community.
• Following a year of restructuring and reflection on where the business was heading, City Venue Management was officially born.
• We commenced a new lease at Burleigh, returning to an area that had been part of the Rackley story from the beginning.
• We acquired a remarkable 68-year lease at Logan West Aquatic Centre, representing one of the longest-term commitments in our history.
• CVM was awarded the Design, Construct and Management contract for Parkinson Aquatic Centre, Brisbane City Council’s newest aquatic facility.
This was a landmark achievement, the first time a private organisation had been awarded a local government contract of this nature, demonstrating the confidence being placed in CVM’s experience and capability.
• In September, ground was broken on the Parkinson Aquatic Centre development, turning years of planning into reality.
• The community response exceeded expectations, with the venue reaching 1,200 Learn to Swim enrolments in its first six months, a company record at the time.
• In November, Rackley Swimming continued to innovate, opening its first shopping centre swim school at Deagon Shopping Centre.
• The community response exceeded expectations, with the venue reaching 1,200 Learn to Swim enrolments in its first six months, a company record at the time.
• In November, Rackley Swimming continued to innovate, opening its first shopping centre swim school at Deagon Shopping Centre.
• Rackley Swimming opened new locations at Redbank Plains, Pimpama and Westlake, bringing Learn to Swim to even more families.
• Rackley Swimming continued its expansion with new swim schools at Parkwood and Southport.
• We commenced operations at Acacia Ridge Leisure Centre, further strengthening our Brisbane portfolio.
• We were successfully awarded the tender for North Lakes Aquatic Centre, extending our reach into Moreton Bay.
• Fish N Flips Swim School launched, creating a new brand and another way to introduce children to the water.
• We successfully secured the tender for Jindalee Pool.
It marked another important step in taking our experience beyond South East Queensland and into new regional communities.
It represented both a return to our roots and the beginning of another chapter of interstate growth.
• In March, we expanded into Townsville through Northern Beaches Leisure Centre and Tobruk Memorial Baths, establishing a major presence in North Queensland.
• In July, we commenced management of Logan City Council’s aquatic centre network, bringing an entire city’s aquatic portfolio into the CVM family.
• In September, we expanded again, taking responsibility for Scenic Rim’s aquatic centres and regional swimming pools.
What began as a family swim school business was now operating aquatic and recreation facilities across some of Queensland’s largest and fastest-growing communities.
• CVM was also awarded the Long Tan Memorial Pool and Kokoda Memorial Pool contracts, bringing all four of Townsville’s major council aquatic facilities into the CVM portfolio.
Our growth in Townsville represents more than the addition of new venues. It reflects the trust being placed in CVM to become a long-term partner in the aquatic life of the region.
For a business whose story began at Burleigh Beach Swim Centre, the opportunity to take on a major Gold Coast aquatic portfolio brings the journey full circle, from one family swim school to helping shape the aquatic experience of an entire city.
Nearly three decades after the journey began, our purpose remains grounded in the same thing: creating places where people learn, connect, belong and build lifelong relationships with swimming, health and recreation.
From a family swim school at Burleigh to major aquatic and leisure destinations across Queensland and beyond, every new venue has brought another community, another team and another chapter into the CVM story.
And we’re still only getting started.
Our Partners.
Providing vital community hubs together.
We take great pride in the solid and cooperative partnerships we have established with our asset partners throughout the years. Looking ahead, we are excited about the prospect of forming many more of these valuable connections in the future
Our Brands.
A lifetime of swimming starts with Rackley Swimming.
Rackley Swimming, our core brand, is a family-run business with decades of industry experience. As Queenslands largest provider of swim schools, we are dedicated to enhancing children’s safety, swim skills, and water confidence. We believe every child should have access to swimming lessons, which is why our swim schools are supported by friendly, qualified staff who are passionate about teaching essential water skills and building confidence in the water.
Swimming is a lifelong skill that enables Australians to fully enjoy our nation’s lifestyle. Our vision is to equip children with life-saving skills that last a lifetime, establishing Rackley as a credible and well-known brand with venues across Australia synonymous with swimming.
From our humble beginnings at the iconic Burleigh Heads Bath pool in 1951, Rackley Swimming has grown across Southeast Queensland, Far North Queensland and New South Wales. As a proud local, family-owned business, we are dedicated to helping children learn to swim and empowering our communities with essential swimming skills, water safety knowledge and confidence to be safer in and around the water.
Rackley Squad Swimming
CVM is proud of its deep commitment to the communities it serves through swim squads and swim clubs, supporting swimmers of all ages, abilities, and ambitions. We partner with several established local swim clubs to provide pathways for training, competition, personal growth, and water safety, ensuring our squad programs deliver both high performance and inclusivity.
Through our squad programs, CVM ensures all partner clubs have access to high-quality facilities, expert coaching, and structured competition. Our commitment is to develop swimmers who are confident, safe, and capable—strengthening communities through health, achievement, and connection in and out of the water. Through consistent coaching and facilities, Rackley supports swimmers progressing from learn-to-swim through to regional, state and national competitions.
Our swim clubs are an important part of the communities we serve. CVM works closely with each club to support strong local connections, development pathways and opportunities for swimmers to participate, progress and compete.
City Health Clubs
Connecting communities through health and fitness. At our health club, we’re much more than just gym equipment, sweat towels, and group exercise classes. We are a community-based health club where friendships are formed, memories are made, and goals are achieved.
City Aquatics.
Our premium aquatic centres are community hubs, inspiring active lifestyles with state-of-the-art facilities.
They embody our mission, encouraging everyone to engage in water-based activities, fostering health, and unity in the local region.
Beyond Swimming
Our impact extends across the aquatic sports ecosystem. We deepen our connections with diving, water polo, surf lifesaving, triathlon, and master’s programs operating within our venues. We are committed to cultivating thriving, multisport training environments by supporting clubs, building collaborative partnerships, and fostering pathways that broaden participation and development opportunities across aquatic disciplines.
Towards 2032
With a local major sporting event on the horizon, we are strategically investing in coaches, programs, and facilities to elevate athletes to the green-and-gold stage. Our vision is to provide clear pathways from grassroots to elite competition, ensuring that swimmers and aquatic athletes of all ages and abilities can develop, excel, and sustain a lifelong connection to the water.
