Bega Valley Shire Councillors have voted to adopt the proposed changes to operating hours at the Eden Pool.
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The new 2014/15 season hours are:
- Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends: 10am-6pm.
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6am-9am and 2pm-6pm.
Throughout January however, the pool will be open from 6am-6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, catering for the increased demand during school holidays.
The toddler pool will be closed during the early shift on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as only one staff member will be present.
The proposed hours were put to Council at last Wednesday’s meeting, following community consultation at the Eden Fishermen’s Club on July 28.
Councillor Sharon Tapscott said the new hours allow the whole community to benefit from the facility, while keeping Council within its operational budget.
“It was a great situation to be able to have that constructive consultation and come to a compromise that works for both Council and the community,” she said.
“The community said that they wanted an early opening, and we gave them an opportunity [through a trial period] to prove to us that the pool would be used if we opened it earlier.
“They did prove that to us, so we’re able to open up early a few days per week, and close the pool during times that were identified when it’s not being used.
“That ensures that the pool is being well used, and that we’re keeping the costs down to make sure we’re funding a usable facility that is open for people when they need it, but isn’t costing us money when it isn’t being used.”
Other ideas raised during community consultation, including increasing shaded areas and improved marketing of the pool are now being investigated by Council.