Wide support for Coast ocean pools
Mayor in favour of Burleigh but other areas questionable
A GOLD Coaster pushing for ocean baths has Mayor Tom Tate on board with putting the first one in at Burleigh Heads.
But where saltwater ocean pools proponent Billy James wants a network of 15 dotting the coast, Cr Tate believes it will be just one at Burleigh.
Mr James leads a large group supporting reinstallation of ocean pools. On Friday he delivered to city council a motherlode of testimonials including surf clubs bosses, the Australian Olympic Committee and a change.org petition with 13,000-plus signatures.
His proposal calls for council to back a feasibility study.
Cr Tate said he wasn’t opposed to the concept but could only see it working at the site of a Burleigh Heads one.
Cr Tate said he had already spoken to Burleigh businesses who backed it but he could not see pools at other beaches.
“The difference between us and Sydney is their beaches have a lot of rocky areas so you can cut an ocean pool into that safely. My suggestion is focus on that and if it’s doable then we’ll look at funding but in terms of other areas I don’t think it’s financially viable.”
Mr James, a businessman and community stalwart, has pushed for the concept for years and said he was delighted to be able to hand to council the petition – champi
oned by pioneering Gold Coast spinal cord research fundraiser Perry Cross who is paralysed from the neck down.
“The idea of the proposal and petition from Perry Cross is to ask the council to explore the opportunity,” Mr James said. “The proposal goes through all the elements and compelling reasons why there’s a want for an ocean pool. It’s backed up by an (environmental and economic) study done by the University of New South Wales water laboratory.”
Mr James said Burleigh was most likely to be the first area chosen if plans were approved but he would like to see 15 pools along the coastline from The Spit to Snapper Rocks.
“Sydney has something like 35 pools, and there’s over
a hundred in NSW,” he said.
“Aren’t we good enough? Why haven’t we got one? We’ve gone up and down the Coast looking at reasonable spots to put them. Burleigh Heads used to have one, Snapper Rocks and Rainbow Bay.
“We’d probably aim for Burleigh Heads. It is a focal point and there used to be one there. It is virtually a natural alcove there and headland just on the eastern side on the Pavilion. Most of the business fraternity down there and the surf club are vocally for this.
“There are other spots in Burleigh, there’s no reason why we couldn’t look off the groin and just to the north of Burleigh Beach.”
Mr Cross, a C2 ventilated quadriplegic after a rugby
tackle accident, said: “My passion for this grew over time, when I realised people with disabilities and ageing people didn’t have proper facilities on the coastal strip. Even for small kids and tourists who aren’t strong swimmers.
“We need safe options for people to access the ocean. We do have some facilities with beach mats and ocean wheelchairs but if the surf is huge or even if it’s not, people want to feel safe entering the ocean. They want to feel confident to enjoy what nature provides. As much as these are man-made structures, they allow people to enter the surf and enter the ocean to enjoy the features of nature safely without fear.”