3 June 2015

Circular Head Council General Manager Tony Smart said Council was moving into the next stage with deciding how best to meet the future needs of Circular Head pool users.

Following the release of reports into the continuing decline of the facility and equipment, Council engaged a cross section of the community in July last year to assist its decision making process around what to do about the pool.

“As a consequence of meetings of the Pool Reference Group last year, Council will be formulating a household survey with three options we would like our community to consider regarding the pool,” Mr Smart said.

“The survey will also be available online, at Council and at a number of locations across the Municipal Area.”

The three options to be put to the community are:

• Refurbishment of our existing pool;
• Building a modern equivalent; and
• Closing the pool (Council will be including this option so all bases are covered and so that we will have absolute confidence that the decision we eventually make has community backing).

Council officers are now working on the financial estimates and implications of the three options to be put to the community and these will be spelt out in the household survey so people are aware of how these will be funded.

“This will take some time, however, in the interim we will meet with the Reference Group later this month to confirm the content of the survey and the process moving forward,” Mr Smart said.

“Council also intends to hold three information sessions at the pool during the survey period to give people access and an understanding of the issues.”

Mr Smart said both the Reference Group and Council had determined that a pool is an inter-generational asset and therefore a big decision for one generation to make for another.

“We have also heard from the Reference Group, that there is a strong belief and commitment to the health, safety and wellbeing benefits that a swimming pool delivers,” Mr Smart said.

“We’d now like the community to play an active role in the decision making about the best way forward.”

It is anticipated that the survey will take place in July, with regular updates provided.