THE Sunshine Community Pool Action Group (SCPAG) recently presented changes it suggested Brimbank City Council should include when finalising its aquatic strategy.
SCPAG spokesperson Katie Pahlow said 33 per cent of Brimbank residents use the Sunshine Swim and Leisure Centre and St Albans Leisure Centre, which is a poor community usage figure compared to the rest of Melbourne.
But 55 per cent of residents indicated a desire to use public pools, Ms Pahlow said.
SCPAG spokesperson John Hedditch slammed the council’s draft aquatic strategy for containing “major gaps” in meeting the needs of an economically disadvantaged area.
He described the plan as focusing upon the reduction of costs and not reflecting the character of the community.
Brimbank will see an influx of new residents in the next 30 years and the plan “was disconnected from the community”, he said.
Programs catering for the needs of multicultural groups, single parents, Muslim women, youth, disabled people and elderly should be encouraged, he said.
He warned that the low levels of pool usage by residents would lead to a generation of obese children unable to swim.
Mr Hedditch also criticised the strategy’s recommendation that the redevelopment of the St Albans Leisure Centre be delayed until next decade.
The proposed redesign for the Sunshine pool was also criticised by Mr Hedditch for only providing a shallow pool for leisure needs.
