TAMWORTH Regional Council has defended its decision to shut the city’s two public pools at the same time this year to coincide with the start of school holidays.
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Parents and casual swimmers have questioned the wisdom of closing both the Olympic and gas-heated Scully pools on April 2, given warmer-than-expected temperatures.
Councillors raised the prospect last week with staff of extending the swimming season at Scully Pool beyond the Thursday deadline to include the school holiday period.
However, acting director of business and events Craig Dunstan said to do so would involve an unbudgeted cost of $25,000 and present insurmountable operational challenges.
“Attendance figures for March at our pools show that even though we have had some warmer-than-usual weather in recent weeks, the number of swimmers coming through the gates has dropped off, as it usually does in the final weeks of the season,” he said.
“This is even the case at Scully Pool, which has gas heating to ensure the water temperature does not fall below 25 degrees.
“There are still a handful of keen morning lap swimmers at some of our pools, but I think even their dedication will be tested over the coming week when overnight temperatures are predicted to drop to less than 10 degrees.”
Tamworth Regional Council decided upon the opening and closing dates for the swimming season at each of its six pools in August last year.
Mr Dunstan said the pools’ most frequent users, including swimming clubs, water polo players and season ticket holders, were all “well aware” of the closing date.
“There have been signs with the opening and closing dates of the season at each of the six council pools since October last year,” he said.
Pool user Pam Poole said the timing of the closures smacked of being simply a “money-saving idea”.
“Usually the (Scully Pool) remains open for a couple of weeks after the town pool closes,” she said. “But this year both pools close before Easter.
“Could I remind council that these pools are public facilities, just as the library, art gallery, parks and gardens, which do not necessarily generate money, (are)?”
A fellow swimmer, who did not wish to be named, told The Leader that council’s decision-making should not be influenced by the opening of 360 Fitness Club’s indoor pool.
“School holidays is traditionally the time when you’re looking for things to occupy the kids, because you don’t want them sitting at home on devices all day,” she said. “It shows a lack of foresight, I think.”
