TORQUAY GETS ITS POOL
TORQUAY will finally get its 50m indoor swimming pool after Liberal MP Sarah Henderson pledged $20 million to construct a new aquatic and leisure centre in Torquay’s north.
Federal Labor has already committed $15 million towards a 25m pool, building on the $10 million committed by the recently re-elected state Labor government.
Both pledges comes after years of community support for a public pool, with discussion dating back to at least the 1970s.
Ms Henderson said she had “strongly backed a pool for Torquay for a very long time”.
“This has been a very big aspiration for this community,” Ms Henderson said.
“Every community has the right to swim and while we have a magnificent beach, you can’t learn to swim at the beach.
“This has been a huge exercise in people power to build the momentum for a new aquatic centre.”
Ms Henderson said the money had been set aside in the 2019-20 Federal Budget under the Government’s $150 million Community Sports Infrastructure Fund.
Ms Henderson said the Surf Coast Shire now had no excuse not to build the pool with $30 million on funding up for grabs.
Ms Henderson said the council still had a motion on its books not to support the development of a pool.
However, the shire has held on to a vacant block of land on the Surf Coast Highway — next to its headquarters — to be used for a future aquatic centre.
“With the state’s commitment of $10 million, we now have the money we need to get on and build this aquatic centre,” Ms Henderson said. ”I know some shire councillors have not been supportive of this and who have actively opposed the development of a pool. But I want work to start straight away.”
Aaron Green, president of the Jan Juc Surf Lifesaving Club, welcomed the funding.
“Aquatic safety is at the front of what we do so more access to pools will create more people with greater confidence in the water,” he said.
“Having something on our doorstep is really important and we certainly think it’s a great addition to our community.”
Surf Coast Shire Council Mayor Rose Hodge said the council was prepared to take another look the question of a pool.
“Our last resolution was not to proceed with it but with that amount of money on offer from both sides of politics, of course we will have to re-look at it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ms Henderson announced $10 million earlier in the day for a 50m outdoor pool for North Bellarine, which will possibly be located in Drysdale.