Draft report suggests closing small town pools

It is a place where kids learn to swim, where women can shake off the isolation of being a young mother in a rural town, where the town’s sporting teams can train.

But under a draft discussion paper being put to Campaspe Shire Council at its ordinary council meeting on Tuesday, the Colbinabbin pool, along with those at Lockington, Stanhope and Tongala, could be demolished and all aquatic services in the shire concentrated at Echuca, Rushworth, Rochester and Kyabram.

It is a possibility that has upset some members of the town.

Local mother Heather Woodman said the pool served as a meeting place for the women of the area, a place they could bring their kids, socialise and support one another.

“In our view the value of the asset is in the value of the social aspect it offers to the community,” Mrs Woodman said.

The pool is also used for Colbinabbin Primary School’s swimming lessons, which are held each year.

Colbinabbin Primary School principal Robyn Maclean said the school could only afford to run the lessons for its pupils because of the proximity of the pool.

Mrs Woodman said there were also concerns the potential removal of the pool would have long-term and wide-reaching impacts on the community, with fears that the loss of facilities would drive young people away from the area.

The draft paper to be considered by council proposes three options for aquatic services in the shire, with the report recommending the council release the paper for public comment and affirm the option of concentrating all aquatic services as the council’s preferred option.

The other options outlined in the paper are to retain all facilities as they are, or replace the pools at Colbinabbin, Lockington, Stanhope and Tongala with water play features and upgrade the remaining pools.

According to the paper, the costs associated with running pools have risen significantly and increases to entry fees have provided a small offset against these costs.

The age and condition of the pool facilities, as well as falling attendances and the ageing population’s reduced use of the pools, have been raised as concerns.

The paper says the cost of operating Colbinabbin pool per attendance is $25.48 this year, with this expected to rise to $30.39 over the next 15 years.

This year the total net operating cost for all facilities is forecast to cost $1.26 million.

Over the next 15 years, it is anticipated that nearly $24.5 million will be spent operating all current facilities and close to $943,000 on Colbinabbin pool.

The paper says that if council proceeded with the recommended preferred option, the operating cost over 15 years would instead be $19.6 million.

The paper was developed after consultation with the community and acknowledges there was a high level of support to retain all the pools.

It is the result of a review of aquatic services in the shire to determine the long-term sustainability of the facilities.