Sink or swim? Slight hope Bendigo East Swimming Pool can open in winter

The pool's earlier-than-anticipated transition to a summertime only facility was again brought before City of Greater Bendigo councillors as they responded to a petition to "save" the pool at a council meeting on Monday, March 25.

The pool is set to close on April 12 but petitioners have urged the council to keep it open as a year-round, heated facility.

Cr Matthew Evans said his "strong preference" was always for the pool to remain open and heated all year.

Cr Evans said a passionate group of users had emerged, however he was disappointed at the "roadblocks" put in their way of keeping the pool open 12 months a year.

The group had offered solutions of changing the pool's energy source from gas to electricity, applying for government grands, increasing membership fees, seeking sponsorship and donations and hosting more events.

"All have been met with the same line: the strategy says what the strategy says," Cr Evans said.

"It has largely been about what we can't do as opposed to what we can do to make the situation work.

"Even sensible ideas that could bridge the short-term funding gap are being dismissed."

Cr Evans doubted whether the group would have time over winter to build a sustainable model resulting in the pool remaining open and heated all-year.

In August 2023, councillors adopted the Community Aquatic Facilities Strategy, which originally stated the pool would close completely.

Councillors voted to amend the strategy and keep the pool open as a non-heated seasonal pool after an upgrade to Brennan Park Swimming Pool, which was hoped to be completed in 2028.

Remaining open and heated year-round was not supported and the facility becoming seasonal was subject to a committee of management being established.

On Tuesday, February 13, the city announced the pool would close on April 12 until next summer, due to costs associated with its gas heating.

Costs to run the facility had blown out despite receiving $167,000 a year from council, committee president Troy Allen said.

Suggested changes including lowering pool temperatures and reducing operating hours were deemed not enough to impact the pool's yearly cost to run.

A reliance on gas for decades made it financially impossible to keep the pool open year-round, Cr Jen Alden said.

"The support of the gas heated pool has required significant investments, not only from the pool committee but also from the City of Greater Bendigo over a long period of time," she said.

"There are many years when there could have been, in my opinion, a serious examination of alternative heating sources that wouldn't generate the greenhouse emissions that gas does, such as heat pumps.

"This didn't happen and the reliance on gas now sees a situation where it's not possible for the council to invest in new infrastructure for the pool, even if there were sufficient funds to do so, because the Community Aquatic Facility Strategy no longer allows that."

Despite cost hurdles, there were hopes an arrangement could be made between the committee and the city to keep the pool open during winter.

"I wish the committee management well in those conversations and that may come down to us as councillors in the budget process too," Cr Marg O'Rourke said.

Remaining a seasonal pool was still reliant on a committee of management, with the alternative being the pool closed for good.

"It is in the community's hands to enable this to be a summertime pool", Cr O'Rourke said.

"I do not want to see the outcome of not having a pool at all in Bendigo East."

About 70 per cent of the pool's users visited during the summer months, and 30 per cent during the winter.

Bendigo East pool users are dedicated to the facility due to its accessibility, including a depth which allowed adults to walk the length of the pool.

Regular users had been recommended to exercise at Gurri Wanyarra Wellbeing Centre or Peter Krenz Leisure Centre, which Cr Evans said were "either over-capacity or inaccessible".

"For many it says a lot, when money is tight we look to cut the most valuable facilities that people rely on," he said.

"Going to a swimming pool is not a discretionary activity, it's an essential activity that supports our health and wellbeing.

"I hope that there is a shift in attitude and I hope that work can be done on how we can keep the pool open."