By VANESSA VALENZUELA
SWIMMING clubs across Wyndham will be left without a pool as a result of construction work on the redevelopment of the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre.
Without a second major indoor aquatic centre in the area, swimming club members will be forced to travel outside of Wyndham to train at the nearest swimming facility.
Wyndham City Swimming Club president Vince Taylor said the club had already lost several members because parents were not sure when the indoor pool would close and how long it would remain under construction.
“The uncertainty of not knowing how long the redevelopment is going to take is what is going to take a big chunk out of our swimming year,” Mr Taylor said.
“We need to provide water space for our swimmers. We’ve just got to do the best we can.”
Mr Taylor said the club had asked Wyndham City Council to use the outdoor pool while the centre was being redeveloped and they had not yet received a response.
He said the council needed to focus on building more sporting and leisure facilities in the municipality to tackle the growing population.
“We definitely need another swimming centre because of the increase in population that will happen in the next 10 to 20 years,” Mr Taylor said.
Wyndham’s acting CEO Bill Forrest said the council had committed more than $700,000 to upgrade the Werribee Olympic Outdoor Pool (WOOP) to increase capacity during warmer weather while the Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre is under redevelopment.
He said at this stage the outdoor pool will be open from Thursday 1 November until 31 March 2013. A closure date for the aquatic facilities at the events centre has not been determined.
“A local swim club has recently requested to use WOOP during the winter months,” Mr Forrest said.
“Wyndham City is currently assessing the implications of accommodating such a request including the potential days and hours of operation, and duration of the season extension.”
A decision on the request will be made in early 2013.
