Residents of Campaspe Shire fighting for their town pools were given a lifeline on Wednesday night.
Council moved away from the recommendation to decommission five outdoor swimming pools at the end of the 2022 swim season, instead throwing the pools a lifeline through the town planning process until May 2023.
Stanhope, Rushworth, Tongala, Colbinabbin and Lockington pools will not be closed at the end of the current swim season.
Further discussion will now include the futures of Kyabram and Rochester outdoor pools, which were recommended for closure in 2025.
The recommendation in the council meeting agenda was released online the week before the January 19 meeting and with little time, community groups rapidly snapped into action to save their pools.
Residents rallied together, writing letters, gaining the support of local MPs and compiling evidence of community support to present at the council meeting where six community members spoke.
Residents of all ages gathered in protest at the pools and at Campaspe Shire Council offices before the meeting, but for many this wasn’t the first time they put in the work to save their swimming facilities.
A recommendation was put to the council’s August 16, 2016 meeting for the pools to be decommissioned in 2019.
The recommendation was met with fierce debate from the community and once the 2019 meeting came about, the council decided to extend the time frame until the end of 2021.
At Campaspe Shire Council’s meeting on January 19, Cr Adrian Weston moved a new six-point motion which, in essence, delayed any decision on the pool closures until the individual township facility plans for each of the towns was completed.
Cr Weston’s motion, which was seconded by Cr Rob Amos, read that council:
1. Will not consider a decision on the future of outdoor pools for the following communities, Stanhope, Tongala, Colbinabbin, Lockington, Rochester, Rushworth and Kyabram, until council completes the individual township facility plans for each of those towns.
2. Where place-based plans have not been developed they are prepared concurrently with the township facility plan.
3. Commits to and directs the chief executive officer to prepare a deliberative engagement plan to enable consultation with the community on the future of swimming pools and to be tabled at council’s April 2022 council meeting for endorsement.
4. Requests all township facility plans and place-based plans referred to in point 2 be completed and presented to council for endorsement by May 2023.
5. Refers adequate funding into the 2022-23 budget to enable the township facility plan and place-based plan process to continue to be initiated with all communities.
6. Will prioritise funds for any immediate maintenance works required to ensure the pools can operate as normal, until the township facility plans are completed in each township.
Campaspe Shire Mayor Chrissy Weller said the council reviews had been driven by a number of challenges, some including age, condition, operational costs and changing population demographics.
“Council has now agreed to a way forward, with actions and time frames, as well as prioritising funds for any immediate maintenance works to ensure outdoor pools remain operational,” she said.