Background
Council has for a number of years had under consideration future management of Old Bar Swimming Pool. Currently, the pool is managed by Council in terms of maintenance and provision of lifeguards in the summer holidays and access is free to the community. However, Council has some concerns regarding capacity to manage the pool efficiently. One being the increasingly common vandalism of the fence and pool area and the expense of remediation work required. The pool also experiences overcrowding - with a maximum capacity of 25 people in the pool at any one time, this number is often exceeded in summer months. Overcrowding not only has an impact on the pool infrastructure and functioning of the filter system, but also the safety of swimmers and in particular young children. Observations are that there is limited supervision of children and there have been a number of near drownings reported to Council over the years but also in recent weeks. Community members have expressed a desire to see an upgrade to the facility with an improved surrounding area including seating and landscaping, but Council does not have the financial capacity to undertake improvements or to provide supervision for the total opening hours in order to reduce risk.
Possible Future
A proposal has been received from Lanis to take on management of the Old Bar Swimming Pool and Council has determined that public comment on this proposal should be called for over the summer period. Lanis management proposes that it would invest funds in upgrading the pool surrounds including landscaping and seating. A new security fence would be installed to include the pool in the Lanis compound and the pool would be accessible to patrons of Lanis all year round. Lanis would also maintain the current community opening period between October and March each year. Lanis management propose that they are able to provide an enhanced and pleasant family and community environment that is safe for kids.
Thank You for Your Input
Thank you to all those who contributed to our survey to get feedback on the future of the Old Bar Pool. All feedback submitted by the community will be collated and provided to the Councillors for consideration before any decision is made.
When will a Decision Be Made
Council would like to make a decision about this matter early 2013.