FOR the third time in as many months City of Greater Bendigo staff have recommended the Golden Square pool be decommissioned.
The recommendation comes as a notice of motion will be considered at the council meeting on Wednesday night.
The motion calls for the Save Our Golden Square Pool group to take control of the Maple Street site and raise the money needed to restore it to operational condition by next summer. If the group can't raise the funds then the pool will be returned to council for permanent closure.
Acting CEO Stan Liacos said the Department of Sustainability and Environment as the owner, had been approached for their input and also agreed the pool needed to be closed.
“Like the DSE, the city also acknowledges the significant financial burden that would be placed on the group in an attempt to reopen the pool,” he said.
“It is admirable the volunteers want to take on responsibility of the site, but it would cost council an additional $50,000 per annum to support a committee of management to undertake a task they may not be able to complete, therefore prolonging the eventual closure of the site."
Meanwhile, the Save Our Golden Square Pool group will again rally at the Bendigo Town Hall on Wednesday night.
The group waved signs and chanted as City of Greater Bendigo councillors and staff entered the last council meeting on February 13.
Members also attempted to block a water carrier from entering the pool and draining it on February 21 after it was filled by an unknown person.
Decommissioning works are under way at the site but group secretary Linda Howell said she hoped about 100 residents would attend Wednesday night’s protest before the council’s March meeting.
“We’re positive that we’ll hopefully get the outcome we’re looking for,” she said.
“You have to be positive.
“We can still get the pool up and running with some volunteer efforts.”
Ms Howell said despite the council twice voting to close the pool and work being undertaken to decommission it, it wasn’t too late to save the pool.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from people keen to bring their friends,” she said.
“We’ve had a lot of support from the community and we’re hoping to get a lot of people there on Wednesday.”
Cr Elise Chapman will introduce a motion to keep the pool at the council meeting.
She said she hoped to stop the pool from being decommissioned until the new aquatic facility at Kangaroo Flat was built.