Left high and dry
THE northern Bellarine looks set to enter its second summer without a pool as the privatelyowned Portarlington facility reaches a year of indefinite closure.
Residents are calling for something to be done to improve accessibility to a pool facility, citing benefits for a diverse cross-section of the community, including children learning to swim and senior citizens accessing low-impact exercise and rehabilitation classes.
Portarlington resident Linda Emonson, 68, has arthritis and used to access water-based exercise classes weekly.
“We miss it. People used to go there before work for a workout. When we were doing our exercises you’d always see people doing laps and other exercises. The school groups used it, not just from Portarlington but other areas as well. When the grandchildren came, they used to like going to the pool — it was certainly wellused,” she said.
A group of residents even looked into organising a bus to travel to the Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre (BASC) in Ocean Grove for classes but there was only limited spots available.
“I know some people brave the bay water in winter but a lot of us need the warm water to do exercise in. You can’t swim in the seawater all year round,” Ms Emonson said.
“If this one can’t be refurbished and redone, certainly we need a new one somewhere. I am sure there is a ready market for it, I doubt whether they would have to go looking for customers.”
City of Greater Geelong councillor Jim Mason said there was “a reservoir of sentiment for another pool” but the council’s acting director of community life Robyn Stevens said there were no funded plans to extend the BASC or to establish an additional pool on the Bellarine.
“The BASC and Splashdown adequately service the current demand,” she said.
Meanwhile, calls by Liberal Member for Western Victoria Simon Ramsay for a State Government investigation into constructing a pool in Drysdale to help meet the community needs have failed to progress.
In April he proposed a Water Safety Centre as part of the sports precinct at Drysdale but the concept was swiftly rejected by the Minister who said plans and funding for the precinct were already set.
Mr Ramsay said he still believed Drysdale would be the “logical position” for such a de- velopment but further discussions were required.
“Residents seem to be a bit divided — not over needing a pool, they agree on that — but there is no consensus about whether we need an indoor pool or outdoor pool, should it be 50m or 25m and where should it be,” he said.
Melbourne-based owners of the Portarlington Pool complex shocked patrons in September last year by closing doors without notice due to safety reasons.
In February, they spoke of plans to spend $20,000 to update the facility and enter a new lease agreement but made no public comment on the centre’s future since. The owners did not respond to questions from the Addy in recent days.