Water aerobics class wants an indoors Torquay pool

THE water aerobics group at the Torquay Swim School are homeless after the facility officially closed this week, and are fully supportive of calls to build a new indoor pool in the town as soon as possible.

Between 15 and 20 water aerobics participants met three times a week at the Baines Crescent building just after the hydrotherapy class, but met for the last time today (Friday, October 28) as the swim school shut its doors after 27 years of operation.

Speaking on Monday before the third-last class, Margaret McDonald said she had been attending water aerobics classes at Torquay Swim School for more than 20 years, but the activity was now screaming out for more space in Torquay.

“After this closes, there’s only The Sands left, and the membership there for water aerobics and the gym is probably over-populated because the RACV [RACV Torquay Resort] have stopped water aerobics as well.

“So we’ve really got nowhere to go.”

She said the group’s members might be forced to give up water aerobics entirely.

“Sadly, I can’t do land exercise, because I’ve got achilles tendonitis, so being in the water is a lot easier.

“We’re basically stranded.

“A lot of people here, the age is probably 55 and over, we’ve got a couple of younger ones, but we’re all at the stage where the water aerobics keeps us healthy, physically and mentally.”

Ms McDonald said her group was right behind the Surf Coast Shire’s campaign asking community members to lobby their elected representatives for the $7.5 million needed to build the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre, and had scheduled meetings with incumbent Liberal MP Richard Riordan and Labor challenger Hutch Hussein this week.

“For us, we want an indoor heated pool where we can do water aerobics. That’s our drive – we’d love to see the whole aquatic centre, that’d be great, but we just need somewhere.”

This week, the shire has also released concept images for Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre, to be built in Torquay North.

The concept images show exterior and interior aspects, including warm water learn to swim and exercise/hydrotherapy pools indoors, the 25-metre outdoor pool and reception/cafe area.

“It is exciting to be at this stage, where we can share impressions of the look and feel of this important community asset,” shire mayor Libby Stapleton said.

“We look forward to moving ahead with detailed design, and we know we need to attract significant additional funding to move into this phase. The final scope of the project is likely to be influenced by any announcements about location and design of a Commonwealth Games aquatic facility.

“Progression to detailed design of the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre is reliant on securing the necessary funds and the council building an understanding of the proposed Commonwealth Games aquatic facility.

“We have already started work on understanding what impact a new aquatic centre in close proximity to Torquay, might have on our facility.”