50 pool call for crowded centre

Jessica Benton
OCEAN GROVE residents want their public pool expanded after a council report revealed use had “exceeded” expectations.
They have called on council to expand Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre to include their initial request for a 50-metre pool.
Stephanie Asher, who was behind a 2006 petition for a 50-metre pool, said a larger facility would better-cater for teenagers and adults.
“The pool is always going to be too small for its demand but a 50-metre pool would be great for teenagers and for training purposes,” she said.
“My dream would be to have an outdoor, 50-metre pool.”
Ms Asher said the centre was too busy for Ocean Grove Primary School to book the pool for student programs, so they had to travel into Geelong instead.
Ocean Grove’s Hamish Morley said the $8.3 million aquatic and sport centre was struggling to keep up with growth.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s great for the young ones to learn to swim but this pool isn’t big enough to handle adults who want to use it for fitness,” he said.
“The council needs to realise that our community is growing rapidly and we need to increase the size of local infrastructure to manage the population increase.”
Ocean Grove Community Association president Michael Harbour backed the expansion calls.
“The facility is fantastic but we understand it has been designed so it can be expanded to the west,” he said.
“If there’s demand for a 50-metre pool and an increased range of programs and it’s viable we would welcome it.”
A council report said the centre had “exceeded expectations for learn-to-swim enrolments and membership growth.
The facility had attracted 4126 learn-to-swim enrolments and 1308 members since the pool opened in December, the report said.
Councillor Stretch Kontelj suggested another pool modeled on the Ocean Grove facility should be built on the north side of the Bellarine Peninsula.
The centre includes a 25-metre, eight-lane lap pool as well as learn-to-swim, children’s and toddlers’ pools.
The Independent reported in 2006 that the Ocean Grove community was split over plans for the centre. Locals signed a petition asking for a 50-metre pool but ward councillor Jan Farrell pushed for 25-metres with extra components such as a slide and an outdoor area.