Penrith Lakes scheme to be completed and opened to the public. The Regatta Centre's competition facilities were opened in March 1996. They include a 2.3km competition rowing and canoeing course, warmup lake, start and finish towers, timing huts, lane marking cables, pontoons, roads and carparks. During the 2000 Olympic Games, the pavilion, temporary public seating and public viewing areas along both sides of the course will comfortably accommodate more than 30,000 spectators. A special feature of the Regatta Centre is a receiving lake which allows competitors to warm up while a race is in progress.
Competitors exit the course into the receiving lake, ensuring minimal delays between races.
The course is a u-shaped channel, 300m long, varying in width from eight to 14m, and in depth from 0.8 to 1.2 m. The fall of the water will be between 5.5 to 7 metres. Within the channel fixed and movable obstructions of natural stone and high density plastic will be adjusted for different degrees of difficulty. Grass banks surrounding the slalom canoe course will accommodate up to 5000 spectators, with additional seating for up to 10,000 people during the Games.