By Allon Lee
BRIMBANK City Council has blown its last chance to adopt a bold vision for the city’s aquatic strategy.
Sunshine Community Pool Action Group (SCPAG) spokesperson John Hedditch levelled the charge after the council passed the final draft of the Brimbank Aquatic Strategy last week.
Prepared by Sykes Humphreys Consulting and SGL Consulting, the report was commissioned to address the aquatic, health and fitness needs of Brimbank residents over the next 10 to 20 years.
The strategy recommended redeveloping the St Albans Leisure Centre in 2011 at the earliest, and periodically assessing whether the soontoberedeveloped Sunshine pool met residents’ needs.
Pool needs could be met by relying upon new swim and leisure centres opening soon in adjacent municipalities, including Maribyrnong and Ascot Vale, the strategy stated.
Mr Hedditch said despite SCPAG presenting a 30minute verbal submission on the strategy to the council, “not one word has been changed in the strategy”.
The group has argued that the strategy incorrectly identified Sunshine Pool as a local pool because it was only 5km from the Maribyrnong pool.
“At Ascot Vale the pool has been developed as a district pool, but it is only two kilometres from the Maribyrnong pool,” Mr Hedditch said.
The strategy showed Brimbank residents had one of the lowest rates of public pool patronage in Melbourne, but when given a viable choice would visit, he said.
“The message from council is that in Victoria’s least active community this is a real slap in the face for a local community because it is going to force over half of them to travel out of the area for a swim,” Mr Hedditch said.
“But the strategy is basically telling people to travel out of their own areas and choice isn’t an option when you haven’t got enough facilities locally.”
High petrol prices and inadequate public transport options are disincentives for families to travel outside of Brimbank to visit pools, he said.
