Club prefers new pool for Games in Geelong

A COMPETITION-standard swimming pool in Armstrong Creek would not only meet Geelong’s requirements for the Commonwealth Games but also the needs of the region’s swimmers now and into the future, according to the Geelong Swimming Club.

Geelong is slated to host the swimming, para-swimming and diving at the Games, and earlier this week, Geelong Swimming Club launched a change.org petition advocating for a facility that would “showcase swimming during the 2026 Commonwealth Games and to provide a high quality community resource, as a legacy to support our growing population”.

The club supports the building of a new swimming pool ahead of a renovation of an existing pool, and says a new complex should “on balance” be in Armstrong Creek due to the area’s growth population and access to rail and rail transport.

“There’s no question that the Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast region is underserviced for high-quality aquatic resources, especially pools, that have all the things you need for high-performance swimming, so [the petition] is a long-range piece of thinking,” club vice-president Tim Woods said.

“But clearly, the Commonwealth Games presents the opportunity for the region, along with the population expansion. It also provides the legacy opportunity to get the extra pool we need but also the type of resources you need for high-performance swimming.”

Geelong Swimming Club is the region’s largest swimming club, with about 200 competitive swimmers, and turns 140 this year.

“We feel the pressure more than any other pool-based swimming club would feel for access to lane resources, but we know the other swimming clubs in the region are all short of lane space,” Mr Woods said.

“The region has incredible aquatic talent, but doesn’t necessarily have the resources it needs to take that to the next step and next level.”

He said the Armstrong Creek complex should broadly contain a 50m competition pool, some sort of grandstand, timing facilities, gym facilities and warm-up pools.

The state Liberals are in favour of such a facility, with Polwarth Liberal MP Richard Riordan and Liberal candidate for South Barwon Andrew Katos calling for the Surf Coast Shire and City of Greater Geelong to jointly build a centre that served both municipalities instead of the shire building the nearly $47 million Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre on its own.

In a statement released earlier this week, the pair argue some of the nearly $2 billion committed by state Labor towards regional infrastructure for the Games should go towards “a fit for purpose legacy pool built that will serve the nearly 100,000 people into the future in the Torquay and Armstrong Creek communities”.

“Regional Victoria has missed out for too long, and the opportunity to help address community infrastructure shortfalls with regional Commonwealth Games funding is a once in a generation opportunity,” Mr Riordan said.

“The current Surf Coast Shire community pool is in my mind inadequate and lacks the required funding to build a fit for purpose facility without excess expense to all ratepayers in the shire.”

Mr Katos said a Commonwealth Games pool facility that could support the growing Armstrong Creek community “will help fast-track the lifestyle options already available to this growing community”.