Pool closure storm

By Kath Gannaway
WARBURTON residents say the closure of their public pool this summer will have a huge impact on the community and the local economy.
New Shire of Yarra Ranges O’Shannassy Ward councillor Chris Templer however, is calling on the community to reserve its judgement until a $550,000 community consultation aimed at identifying and developing options for Warburton’s recreation needs is carried out.
The pool closure was announced three weeks ago following a report stating the pool was leaking up to two million litres of water over a three-month period.
Organisers of a tennis competition planned for Warburton in January say they have been left high and dry by the closure.
Warburton Tennis Club, whose courts are adjacent to the pool, has promoted its Australia Day long-weekend Warburton Cup tournament around the state encouraging visitors to play while their families swam and relaxed at the pool.
Club secretary Jane Stormer said in addition to the attraction the pool would have for players, it was part of a package with the caravan and camping park which provided a vital cash injection into Warburton in the holiday season.
“The closure of the pool over this summer will have a range of impacts on the river, the people and the local economy,” Ms Stormer said.
Local resident Julie Gason supported Ms Stormer’s call to open the pool this season.
“I believe the community should make every effort to pressure the shire to keep the pool open,” she said.
“It will be like the Mechanics Institute, once something is closed, people become ambivalent and it is very likely it will never reopen again.”
Ms Gason was instrumental in saving the dilapidated and unused hall from demolition, and working to see it ultimately restored and back in use. It was, however, an effort which took years.
Ms Gason disputed Yarra Ranges CEO Glenn Patterson’s claim that it “was understood” that the pool would close following the opening of the Yarra Ranges Aquatic Centre at Yarra Junction.
“The locals would have been screaming from the rafters if there had been any suggestion Warburton Pool would close because of the Yarra Junction pool being built,” she said.
She said the Warburton pool was used by families with young children, for whom the river did not provide a safe alternative, and by local schools for swimming sports.
She said the $550,000 allocated for consultants should be used to look at options to make the pool sustainable.
Two simple solutions, she said would be to place a liner in the pool to prevent leakage, or to install a fresh filtered water system using Yarra River water.
Cr Templer said the pool was just too old to patch up.
“The shire has spent a lot of money on it to keep it open this long, but when preparations were being made for this season it was found to be in worse shape than ever,” he said.
He said the consultative process would firm up ideas the Warburton community wants for the town.
“I would expect the shire would have to take all those ideas into consideration,” he said.
“From the very first meeting I had with the directors and everybody (at the shire) involved, they have all been very positive,” he added.
“I would hope that would alleviate some of the fears people have that the only view is to close the pool down,” he said.
“I don’t think, from what I’ve seen, that they see the opening of the Yarra Junction facility as the definitive answer and that (they see) Warburton still needs a water facility.”