A draft proposal to close Katoomba’s 50m outdoor pool would mean hundreds of children from Katoomba, Leura, Blackheath, Megalong Valley and Mount Victoria may lose access to swimming and water safety lessons provided by the NSW Dept of Education, secretary of the NSW Teachers Federation, Blue Mountains Teachers Association, John Tognolini said.
“How are all our kids going to fit in their swimming lessons? Where are we going to have our swimming carnivals?” he asked.
A Katoomba resident, Mr Tognolini is a daily pool user and is flummoxed by plans to shut it. He is staging a ‘swim-in’ on Sunday November 5 at 2pm to look at ways for the community to fight the proposal. It is open to everyone.
The bid to save the pool has already got plenty of traction. Pool supporters packed the council meeting of October 17, started a petition page that has hit 2000 supporters, and gathered at the pool in droves last Friday to make their message clear.
The proposal was outlined in council’s draft Open Space and Recreation Strategic Plan. The plan informs decisions for investment in maintenance and planning of council’s recreational facilities. The majority of councillors elected to support the draft plan going out for public consideration for 42 days, despite a large community turnout concerned by the option and Ward 1 Councillors Kerry Brown and Kevin Schreiber speaking out against it, with Cr Brendan Christie’s support. Fellow Greens councillor Brent Hoare absented himself from the vote as he has a child working at the Katoomba centre.
Cr Schreiber said tourist options needed to be more carefully considered for the pool – BBQ areas and seating would encourage more visitors and residents. Cr Brown said: “I don't want to close any Olympic pools but I note that, if Glenbrook was closed, Lower Mountains locals would have an eight to 15 minute drive to Penrith’s Olympic pool and water slide. If Katoomba closes, Blackheath and Mount Victoria schools and residents will be 30 to 40 minutes away from an Olympic pool.”
Under the proposal Katoomba’s outside pool would be shut in 2018 and replaced with “outdoor training courts” while the season at Blackheath’s 25 metre pool will be extended by two months by heating that pool for six months.
The pools cost $7 million to operate annually, and are subsidised by $2.91 million. Council has allocated $2.67 million for pool renewal over the next five years but to replace all “failing pools” requires $8.56 million. The cost of replacing Katoomba outdoor pools is approximately $6.8 million.
The Save Katoomba Pool petition on change.org garnered almost 2000 supporters within a week of the Gazette revealing the exclusive story.
Community members said the pool provided vital psychological and emotional health benefits, keeping an ageing community active.
Guy Fordy wrote on the petition: “It's hard enough to persuade people to exercise in this obese society, combining swimming with sunbathing, reading and relaxing is what this facility offers, not a exercise in a small, steamy smelly cloudy indoor pool.”
Gordon Strachan of Wentworth Falls told the Gazette last Friday the pool had been helping his spinal arthritis for decades and had meant “I haven’t taken painkillers for 35 years”.
Cr Brown said “the pool sits at heart of our tourism precinct visited by over 4 million visitors annually with further growth projected. It, and the Gully where it is located, should be promoted to visitors as a full day of activity. All of this fits with the Destination Management Plan that council has adopted.”
Residents have until December 6 to comment at council or online at www.bluemountainshaveyoursay.com.au/openspace.