Pool dead in water

Alex de Vos
A $60,000 feasibility study has poured cold water on plans for a Torquay aquatic centre, according to councillor Jim Tutt.
He said Surf Coast Shire would dump plans for the proposed indoor pool after the consultants’ study ruled that the project was “economically unsustainable”.
Cr Tutt told the Independent the project “was not viable at this point in time”.
“You need a minimum number of people to make it work and we don’t have the numbers,” Cr Tutt said.
“It’s got to be looked at from a ratepayers point of view – it’s economically unsustainable.”
Council commissioned the feasibility study after receiving a community petition calling for an aquatic centre. Council committed $30,000 of ratepayers’ money to the study before State Government contributed an equal share in May, 2008.
A community group leading the push for the proposed indoor centre slammed the report’s findings.
“We’re extremely disappointed,” group spokesperson Pete Currie said.
“Ocean Grove got its pool and that pool has far exceeded what their feasibility study suggested as far as attendance numbers are concerned.”
He dismissed the report’s claims that the pool was not viable at this point in time.
“Now is the time to get the pool – in 20 years time it’ll be too late,” Mr Currie said.
“It’s important for the kids who live down here near the beach to be able to swim really well and the only way to do that is to get a pool.”
Torquay Swim School’s Tracey Holding, who manages the learn-to-swim centre in Baines Court, said she was also “disappointed”.
Ms Holding believed a larger public pool in Torquay was “well and truly overdue and very viable”.
“It’s a real shame it’s not going ahead because we think it was something the community really needed,” Ms Holding said.
“There are thousands of kids round here and we really need a bigger centre – we’re always full but we only cater for children six months old up to eight years.”
Ms Holding said the shire should investigate options for establishing a private indoor centre to ensure it was financially stable.
“If it’s run properly as a private business and you had school groups and surf clubs going there and you’re busy all year round it would pass,” she said.
However, Winchelsea councillor Lindsay Schroeter welcomed the report.
“The project should be dead in the water – I don’t know where they expected to get the money from,” he said.