This is not correct. 

Advice direct from the City of Greater Bendigo indicates that it was closed primarily because the operational tender came in way above the previous amount. 

This massive increase in price is for the provision of a management service, which appears to be way under the required service levels.

 It seems that the pool has been managed mainly as a profit making venture for a “non-profit” organisation (the YMCA) to siphon funds into their other ventures. 

There is a simple solution. The Golden Square community resolved to form a management committee at our meeting on Monday.

 A management committee will be far cheaper for Bendigo. 

A committee will open the pool for far longer hours, stock the kiosk with a reasonable choice of items and be more proactive with maintenance issues. And importantly, will put profits back into the pool to benefit the pool users themselves. 

Pool attendance will surely increase dramatically as a result. 

The council has now saved a lot of money from the pool not operating this summer.  It really doesn’t seem that hard.

Let’s get on with it and put those saved funds back into the pool where they belong, open the pool with a management committee and our community can enjoy swimming in our local pool once again this November. 

Ken Hamilton, 

Save The Golden Square Pool Group, Shelbourne