Swimming club’s coup

Warragul to host championships

by Keith Anderson Warragul Swimming Club has pulled off a coup being chosen to host next year’s Victorian Country Swimming Championships at the town’s new swimming complex.

Just 15 months after the $14 million project at the Warragul Leisure Centre to build a modern 50-metre competition pool and upgrade the indoor pool was opened officials from Vic Swim have given the venue their “tick” to stage the major country competition next year.

The championships to be held over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Australia Day long weekend in January are expected to attract between 700 and 800 swimmers from the 47 country swimming clubs from across the state.

WSC committee member Simon Griffin, who was heavily involved in Warragul’s bid to be selected as host, said studies undertaken after recent championships show they generate at least $500,000 in direct economic benefit to the host area and another $500,000 indirectly.

Several thousand family members, spectators and team officials will also travel to Warragul.

Baw Baw shire mayor Joe Gauci was high in his praise for the swimming club.

“It has done a fantastic job promoting the new Leisure Centre complex and winning next year’s event”.

“It will have major economic benefits for the shire,” he said.

Cr Gauci said council would work closely with swimming authorities, the Warragul club and centre managers YMCA to deliver a great event for the region.

Already many teams have booked accommodation for next year.

Local accommodation was heavily booked and, in many cases, booked out within days of Warragul being announced to host the titles.

Because of limited accommodation locally some have had to book as far away as Traralgon, Pakenham and some South Gippsland centres.

Mr Griffin said all rooms at the Mercure Hotel in Warragul had been booked for some of those attending the swim meet, about threequarters of the rooms set aside for officials.

He said the benefits to Warragul and district would spread across at least five days with the majority of visitors arriving on the Thursday and departing the following Monday. Planning is well advanced. Temporary poolside grandstand seating for 600 to 800 spectators has already been organised.

But Mr Griffin said a lot of other temporary facilities would have to be utilised.

He said some vacant land at the rear of the Leisure Centre had been earmarked for portable toilets, change rooms, food vans and marquees to provide shade areas for swimmers between their races.

The adjoining basketball stadium would also be utilised for changerooms.

The Warragul swimming club was a determined lobbyist of Baw Baw Shire council over a number of years for a facility capable of holding major events after the public pools in Albert St were closed.

Mr Griffin said the new complex had impressed the Vic Swim hierarchy with the wide swimming lanes in the main pool, top standard starting blocks, water temperature controlled at 27 degrees Celsius and the timing touch pads and scoreboard bought by the club several years ago.

The club, formed in 1957, had a good “trial run” of catering for a major competition when it staged the Gippsland junior championships during the first weekend of February that drew 325 competitors and more than 500 spectators.

Mr Griffin said some sponsorships to help meet the cost of staging the State country titles had already been obtained but another major sponsor was being sought.

As well as providing Warragul and the shire with a venue suitable for major competitions Mr Griffin said the new facility had seen a major boost in membership of the swimming club’s competitive swimming team, the Warragul Water Warriors.

Three years ago there were only 32 swimmers, the number is treble that today and we expect it to increase further – to about 125 to 150 – next season, he said.