Swim for free this summer

ENTRY to the Buninyong and Black Hill pools will be free for residents of the City of Ballarat this summer.

The measure was part of the City’s 2025 to 2026 budget and was introduced as a cost-of-living relief measure.

Previously, entry cost $7.40 per adult, $4.50 per child and $19.40 for a family pass.

Entry prices at the Eureka Pool and Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre will remain the same.

“The decision to make Buninyong and Black Hill pools free this summer was a key incentive when we created a budget that focused on the cost of living,” mayor Cr Tracey Hargreaves said.

“For people who might not have ever visited these pools, or even for those who are regulars, this is a great way to beat the heat this summer without blowing the budget.”

To receive free entry, residents must sign up for a free season pass via the BALC online portal and collect it in person at the Buninyong or Black Hill pool before swimming.

Registration forms are also available at the pools and proof of identification and residency is required.

The pools will open tomorrow, Saturday 29 November, and will open every day forecast to be 24 degrees or higher.

The Eureka Pool, along with the Midlands Reserve and Sebastopol splash parks, have already opened.

The Brown Hill Splash Park works are expected to be finished in early December.