Community invited to have say on Bellarine pool

CORANGAMITE federal member Sarah Henderson is inviting community members to have their say on a new pool for the Bellarine at a meeting later this month.

The meeting will be held at the Drysdale Football Netball Club club rooms on February 28 from 6pm and 7pm.

Ms Henderson said hundreds of people had already signed a petition at sarahhenderson.com.au/petitions showing there was an enormous amount of community support for a new swimming pool.

“This is a very important opportunity for local residents to provide feedback on their support for a new pool and demonstrate that “people power” can make a real difference,” Ms Henderson said. “I am working very hard to secure federal funding for this pool.

“I am also calling on the City of Greater Geelong to prioritise the development of this facility which is vital for swimming safety, community health and well-being.

“While local councillors such as Trent Sullivan and Stephanie Asher are very supportive, I am concerned that council has not reached any position or made any funding commitment in relation to this much-needed facility.”

Local Carol Tozer recently took to social media to share a letter she wrote to Bellarine MP Lisa Neville in support of a pool for the Bellarine and the response, which has attracted more than 70 comments to date.

Ms Neville’s reply stated that the industry benchmark for the population trigger point to justify an indoor pool was 40,000.

“The Bellarine Peninsula, including Leopold, has a current population of 54,850 which is serviced by two facilities; Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre (BASC) in Ocean Grove and Splashdown in Newcomb.

“City of Greater Geelong developed an Aquatic Infrastructure Strategy in 2017, which does not recommend adding any additional aquatic facilities in the Geelong region in the next 10 to 15 years.

“It does, however, advocate for the expansion of Council’s four existing indoor leisure facilities over time as population grows.”