Here, please: Doug Carson points to the community’s preferred pool site on the sports precinct plan.
KIM WATERS
GEELONG’S council has poured cold water on a new push for a pool to service Clifton Springs and Drysdale, according to a community representative.
Drysdale and Clifton Springs Community Associ-ation president Doug Carson accused council of promoting the area to tourists but ignoring it for infrastructure funding.
Mr Carson said residents and council still shared “a bit of bad blood” after City Hall closed their only swimming pool 10 years ago.
The tension increased after council shunned the towns in favour of building a $5.5 million pool at Ocean Grove in 2008, he said.
“We’ve been discussing having a pool included in the Jetty Road sports precinct master plan but council has said it’s too expensive.
“Originally we had a pool but council decided it was leaking too much, so they bulldozed it with no public consultation.
“Now residents have to use the Ocean Grove or Port-arlington pools and schools are constantly bussing kids over there.”
Mr Carson said residents had difficulty accessing the nearest facility at Ocean Grove, which was “always booked up”.
Council had marked Drys-dale and Clifton Springs as “future growth areas” but they lacked many basic public facilities, he said.
“We don’t have anything in the way of major employers down here. There’s no room to build decent accommodation apart from the pubs and bed and breakfasts already operating and I know the golf club would love a new motel nearby.
“Council promotes this as a tourist destination but aren’t willing to spend the infrastructure dollars.”
Mr Carson said the association had requested council earmark a site for a pool.
“Our tactic now is to at least get them to register a position somewhere in the master plan for a future pool.
“Over the next five to 10 years we’ll have thousands more people living here. If no space is earmarked now it will take council another 10 years to find a spot.”
The City had not returned the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press.
