Leisure centre re-opens
By late morning yesterday, the queue at the Warragul Leisure Centre ticket office stretched almost to the street as swimmers young and old celebrated the reopening of their aquatic centre.
The pool has been closed since April last year and serious and recreational swimmers alike have eagerly anticipated its reopening.
It wasn’t classic swimming weather but no one was complaining as the Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing and Baw Baw Mayor Joe Gauci officially opened the pool complex.
The $14 million redevelopment includes a leisure pool with beach entry and water features, a learn-to-swim pool, a hydrotherapy pool with a ramp and lift, a refurbished 25-metre indoor pool and a new 50metre outdoor pool.
While the official ceremony was in progress, the real action was taking place at the other end of the complex where scores of children were celebrating the first day of the school holidays with a dip in the new leisure and splash pool.
The pool features a beach entry and an array of water features, including spouts and a giant bucket that fills and dumps a deluge of water, much to the delight of the young swimmers.
Among those frolicking in the pool were Meryl Reid’s six grandchildren, Olivia, Sophie and Amy Reid, from Garfield, and Ruby, Jeff and Amily Hansen, from Drouin.
“We saw the opening day in the Gazette and decided to come down,” Mrs Reid said.
“It’s beautiful. They’ve done a fantastic job.”
Mrs Reid said she had been taking her grandchildren to the aquatic centre at Cranbourne and was delighted to go locally instead.
“It’s a wonderful way for grandparents to entertain their grandchildren in the school holidays.
“You could spend all day here.”
Her friend Sally Standen, there with her two grandchildren, Summer and Jasmine Elliott, said they used to travel to the Narre Warren aquatic centre.
Mrs Standen was also delighted with the new pools and facilities.
“It’s been a long time coming but it’s worth it.”
Mayor Joe Gauci said planning for the project, the biggest infrastructure project in Baw Baw Shire’s history, began in 2002 with years of planning, consultation and fund-raising involved.
On Monday, last minute works were being completed on the carpark, which is scheduled to open on Thursday.
The new outdoor pool has been completed and will open at the start of the summer pool season.
The State Government contributed $3 million towards the project and the Federal Government $490,000.