Fingers crossed for indoor pool

By Lachlan Ellis

The State Budget and the federal election has seen a flurry of funding commitments for a range of Moorabool projects, and politicians visiting to splash some cash – but a Bacchus Marsh woman has shared just how important one particular project is for her and her family.

Ruth Baas’ daughter, 16-year-old Ella, is a state level swimmer, and also works as a lifeguard.

Because there’s currently no pool available in Bacchus Marsh for nine months of the year, Ms Baas says, Ella travels out of Moorabool three mornings a week at 4.30 am.

“She’s been a competitive swimmer since she was 11…we travel to Gisborne three mornings a week for her to train. In the last year or so she’s reached state level and has competed at some big state events that Swimming Victoria run, which requires her to get some pretty tough qualifying times,” Ms Baas told the Moorabool News.

“Having a pool in town would be so much better. She’d still be required to go to train under her coach, but to have the option to do extra training in town without relying on her parents to get her to places would be fantastic.”

Ms Baas said she was grateful for the State Government providing $10 million for the indoor pool, but was concerned the Federal Government may not chip in and get the facility fully funded, given how long Marshians have been waiting for an indoor pool already.

“We’ve always had to travel to find a pool, and I know there’s a lot of people saying ‘we don’t need a pool, we need this, we need that’…but we’ve been here for over 20 years and we definitely need a new pool. The town’s gotten so much bigger,” she said.

“The State Government funding announcement was exciting, but $10 million’s not going to get it built. Ella was excited that there might be a facility here in town, but we’re assuming by the time it does finally get built, she won’t be interested in swimming anymore.

The aim for Ella is nationals, her mother said.

“But that all depends on being able to train more. We need the Federal Government to step up, we seem to be forgotten a bit out here.”

Major party candidates for the new electorate of Hawke, which includes Bacchus Marsh, have stopped short of promising the required $15 million of Federal Government funding for the pool if elected.

Labor’s Sam Rae stated he is “very supportive of the Bacchus Marsh pool” and pledged to advocate for it, while the Liberal Party’s Enamul Haque did not respond to the Moorabool News for comment.

The pool will form Stage 3 of the Moorabool Aquatic and Recreation Centre (MARC), which Council has committed close to $15 million to, alongside the State Government’s $10 million investment.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-05-17/4

in the 17 May 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.