City to kick in for new pool

GEELONG’S council will consider stumping up more than $3.8 million to build a swimming pool on the Bellarine Peninsula, despite warnings the project could cause “financial pain”.

City of Greater Geelong councillors on Tuesday voted to consider funding the construction and operation of a 50m outdoor pool in Drysdale, using $10 million in funding committed by the Federal Government during the 2019 election run.

The city will now look into the preferred location and operating model of the pool, as well as its funding options for the project in its 2020-21 Budget and long-term financial plan.

A scoping study for the project completed in February suggested two potential sites for the pool — the city’s Drysdale maintenance depot site or the planned Drysdale Regional Sports Precinct. The study suggested it could cost about $13.8 million to build at the sports precinct and about $15.3 million at the depot site.

Estimated annual operating costs would be about $100,000 for a seasonal non-heated pool, $580,000 for a seasonal heated pool, and $1 million for a year-round heated pool.

Cr Bruce Harwood said the Government’s $10 million in funding was a “fantastic start”, but warned there may be “some strong financial pain in the early days” of the project.

“It’s short of what the numbers tell us is actually required to build a 50m outdoor pool,” Cr Harwood said. “This pool in its current form will be very expensive to operate.”

But Mayor Stephanie Asher said there were a number of council facilities that did not make money, noting the scoping study found a high demand for the facility in the area.

“The results of the scoping study are clear and councillors are in agreement that there’s a clear need for a swimming pool on the north Bellarine,” Cr Asher said. “The case for this project is now undeniable.

“We now need to decide on a location and operating model, and get construction started as quickly as possible. The people of the Bellarine need this facility and they’ve been waiting a long time for it.”

Cr Asher thanked Victorian Liberal senator Sarah Henderson for the funding commitment from her government, and Corangamite federal Labor MP Libby Coker “for continuing to drive the project”.

Ms Coker has called for ongoing support of the continued expansion of the pool project, as the scoping study found the need to add extra facilities such as a warm water pool and water play to keep up with forecasted population growth.

“The development of the pool precinct should be in stages, commencing with an outdoor pool, with year-round use suitable to all age groups,” Ms Coker said.