With hundreds of public swimming pools across regional Australia in dire need of repair hopes are rising that a federal government grant could bring some back to life.
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The State of Aquatic Facility Infrastructure report 2022 found 40 per cent of pools across Australia will reach their 'end-of-life' by 2030.
It would cost $8 billion to replace them.
The Royal Life Saving Society Australia is encouraging local governments to use the Growing Regions Program to upgrade and replace ageing regional swimming pools.
"[Swimming pools] provide an important service to children traditionally in programs such as learn to swim or even just some respite on a very hot day," Royal Life Saving Society Australia CEO Justin Scarr said.
"They're also an important source of employment for young people in the regions."
Application for grants under the Growing Regions Program will open on July 5 to fund regional and rural community infrastructure projects for local governments and not-for-profit organisations.
"We're seeing a shift towards investment in very large scale community aquatic facilities, and sometimes that means that the local pool is sort of left in a state of disrepair," Mr Scarr said.
"What we do know is communities love their swimming pools and they fight very passionately to retain their community swimming pool."
'Save Our Pool'
Carlie Ryan nervously waits to see if her local swimming pool in Colbinabbin in central Victoria will remain open.
The mother of three said all of her daughters learned to swim in the outdoor public pool in the small town in central Victoria. The town has a population of 285.
"My children are incredibly strong swimmers, and it's very much because we have access to a pool and because the schools [are] able to run swimming lessons locally at very low cost," Mrs Ryan said.
The community group 'Save Campaspe Pools' has been lobbying to keep their seven swimming pools open since 2016.
In January 2022 seven outdoor pools, including Colbinabbin, in the Campaspe Shire Council were being considered for closure.
"In a very short time frame the community came back very clearly about wanting to retain their pools and wanting to work with local government to make that happen," Mrs Ryan said.
Campaspe Shire Council confirmed that a decision on the long-term plans for the outdoor pools is yet to be finalised and will be made "once it has been fully informed of all relevant information".
Mrs Ryan stated that the local pools were originally built to prevent children from swimming in a local irrigation channel that 'are not really safe'.
The council told ACM it forecast a deficit of $3.36m for their Aquatics Service Area for the 2023/24 financial year which includes free admission to the swimming pools.
Ageing regional swimming pools
The average Australian public pool was built in 1968, according to the State of Aquatic Facility Infrastructure report by Royal Life Saving Australia.
The report states that the basic cost to replace an outdoor swimming pool is $10 million, a price out of reach for many regional councils.
"Many regional councils struggle to afford to maintain or replace swimming pools and increasingly councils are considering closing their pools," the report states.
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Ms Ryan said her local pool is an important place to meet with other parents. Royal Life Saving Society Australia echoes the social aspect of swimming pools as 'the fabric of the local community'.
"We've got to work together with governance right across the country to make sure that we don't lose these valuable social healthy assets," Mr Scarr said.
Marlene Even
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
Journalist at the Illawarra Mercury. Previously a radio and podcast host at 2SER Radio.
