A decision to change the opening date and reduce the operating hours of the Wee Waa Memorial Swimming Pool has been labelled ‘disgraceful’ and ‘devastating’ by members of the community.
“Poor decisions have been made regarding the pool without consultation with local community and sporting clubs who access the pool,” said Wee Waa Swimming Club president Anthony Gray who is urging Narrabri Shire Council to reverse its decision.
Wee Waa Swimming Club secretary Kerry Crutcher echoed Mr Gray’s concerns and said she only found out about the changes a fortnight ago.
“Without proper community consultation, the pool hours have been pushed back a month so that the pool will now not open in late September as normal but will instead open on October 26, effectively wiping a month off the pool season – people were swimming by the first week of October last year,” said Mrs Crutcher.
“It flies in the face of everything health and education departments are promoting when it comes to being active and maintaining good physical health.
“There is very little for our kids to do in this town unless someone puts their hand up and offers to do something voluntarily, and now our families can’t even go to the pool these school holidays,” she said.
“It’s just another example of services being downgraded when we as a community, particularly in this drought need services.”
Council announced the changes through a media release on its Facebook page, on September 13.
“The opening hours of Narrabri Shire pool facilities for the 2019/2020 summer season will be changed in response to community feedback and to meet forecast weather predictions for an extended summer,” read the statement.
“The start of the season will be rescheduled to October 26, allowing Council to extend the season into April.”
Council’s community facilities manager Evan Harris said, “During October 2018, outdoor pools received low levels of patronage.
“To best service the needs of the community and be operationally sustainable, Council will trial changing the commencement of regular opening hours of the outdoor pools to the end of October.
“The change is only a few weeks later than usual and will provide access to aquatic facilities across the Shire later in the summer season which is in line with the opening requirements patrons have expressed with Council.”
However, Mr Gray said it’s the ‘lack of consultation’ that has blindsided people.
“These poor decisions affect our town during trying times and the choice to delay the opening of the pool and reduce its opening times due to reasons of a lack of usage is a poor excuse,” said Mr Gray.
“You can see by how many people turned up today just how great the impact will be,” said Mr Gray, who was joined at the pool on Monday afternoon by a large group of worried residents from Wee Waa and surrounding areas.
“The running of the pool should not come down to numbers, it is an essential community service that provides for a community that is already isolated and suffering drought.”
Early morning swimmers also feel like they’ve been left high and dry with the pool no longer opening before lunchtime until December 16, and then morning operation will stop on March 2, 2020.
“My early morning swim is one of the most important rituals of my day,” said Carmel Schwager.
“It keeps me fit and more able to cope with the relentlessness of the current drought.
“In fact, last year when I got in the pool in October, it was cold but I smiled – there was a joy to the ritual of the early morning swimming season starting again.”
Mrs Schwager has also raised fears about the sun exposure.
“My father died of melanoma when he was 34 and my sister had a melanoma removed when she was 24. I am very reluctant to swim when the sun is high over the sky – another reason why early mornings should be an option when the pool opens.”
Retiree Beverley Currell has been an early morning swimmer for ‘too many years to remember’ and she is also bewildered by Council’s decision.
“I go swimming with a group of three or four ladies – it’s devastating for me and all the other ladies. It’s part of my health regime,” said Mrs Currell.
“I was disgusted when I found out, I thought ‘what is wrong with them?’
“I can’t drive to Narrabri to swim, there’s no other option for me.
“I just cried my eyes out.”
Mrs Currell said it’s a decision that will send Wee Waa ‘backwards’ and she urged Council to change the schedule and open at 6am for the whole season.
Wee Waa Memorial Pool was established by members of the public in 1963 and like in so many country towns, the pool has been the centre of sport, social and wellbeing activities for generations.
Don Blackwell has been involved with the Wee Waa pool for close to half a century and voluntarily provides sessions to people who are in rehabilitation or recovery.
“I look after people who have had a stroke or take others there to get rid of their aches and pains,” said Mr Blackwell.
“People pay rates, the pool is for the public – I can’t understand why you would change the community service.”
Many residents have contacted Council and councillors directly, and are urging others to do the same.
“This is everyone’s chance to voice their concerns and wishes,” said Mrs Crutcher.
“I would encourage residents to email or phone council with their ideas, so as we can work together for the most suitable and fair outcome for the Wee Waa Community,” added Janelle Schwager.
“I would like to see the pool hours as 6am to 8am and 10am to 7pm daily. These are user friendly hours, giving the public the opportunity to swim morning as well as afternoon.”
Mrs Crutcher understands the issue will be raised at the next Council meeting, on September 24.
This season’s opening hours are listed below :
October 26, 2019 to December 15, 2019
• Monday to Sunday: 12pm to 6pm
December 16, 2019 to March 1, 2020
• Monday to Friday: 6am to 8am and
1pm to 7pm
• Saturday and Sundays: 1pm to 7pm
March 2, 2020 to April 17, 2020
• Monday to Friday: 1pm – 7pm
• Saturday and Sundays: 1pm – 7pm.
