Our time for a pool

By Lachlan Ellis

A new community-led group has been formed to spearhead the campaign for a new pool, and is calling on locals from all walks of life to get on-board.

‘MooraPool’ is made up of community members from many different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common – their desire for an indoor pool in Bacchus Marsh.

$15 million has already been committed from Moorabool Shire Council for the project, and $10 million has been committed from the State Government – MooraPool are urging the Federal Government to come to the table and provide the final $15 million to get the project fully funded.

Lauren Tudball is spokesperson for MooraPool, and says Bacchus Marsh needs a pool that is accessible for all residents, at any time of the year.

“We’re looking to really put some pressure on the government I suppose, to provide the rest of the funding to get the pool up and running. There’s a petition that’s been put together that’s up online, and we’re asking for the local community to sign that, as well as send letters to the government. We’re also getting community groups like schools, gyms, and the CFA to get behind the campaign as well,” Ms Tudball told the Moorabool News.

“I’m in my 30s, and it’s something that’s been rattled around for all my life. It’s something that’s really missing from the town – we have the outdoor pool, but that only functions during certain parts of the year and certain temperatures.

“An indoor pool would accommodate for lots of different people, from kids learning to swim, teenagers and adults looking to compete and train at an Olympic-sized pool, elderly and rehab areas, as well as the disabled community. We don’t have that in our general vicinity…Melton Waves is down the road, but that isn’t accessible to all the groups we’re looking at.”

The current pool in Bacchus Marsh opened in 1938, when the town’s population was around 3,500, whereas the urban area now has almost 25,000 residents according to the 2021 census, and will certainly have many more particularly with the strong growth in Maddingley.

Ms Tudball says backing MooraPool’s campaign is simple.

“It’s as easy as jumping on and signing the petition, and just getting behind our social media. We’ve got a Facebook page and an Instagram page, where you’ll hear updates about the campaign and the community group. We have links to the petition there too,” she said.

“We’re still sort of finalising the ins and outs, but we’re hoping to get on the land where the pool is proposed to perhaps have a barbeque or something, to formally announce the group and the petition, so hopefully we can get some people down there and some media across what we’re asking for as well.”

The group is also planning to meet up this Saturday, on the back of the opening of the MARC indoor stadium from 10am to 1pm.