Overview

Thanks to everyone provided feedback on how you use the swimming pools.

We know swimming pools are important community facilities, especially in inland areas.

We have a duty to ensure they operate according to safety guidelines and they are managed in a financially responsible manner. This is why we are introducing some changes to operating hours, entry fees, supervision and management of our pools.

We want to continue to meet community needs into the future.

You can read more about the what you told us during the engagement below.

2024-25 Swim Season

The following changes will apply to all outdoor pools from Sunday 1 October 2024:

• Swim season: All outdoor pools will open and close from the start and end of Eastern Daylight Saving Time.
• Pool safety: All pools will now be supervised during opening hours.
• Entry fee: Outdoor pools at Wingham, Tea Gardens, Gloucester, Nabiac, Stroud and Bulahdelah will have a standard entry fee.
• Management model: Pools at Wingham, Tea Gardens, Nabiac, Stroud and Bulahdelah will be offered to community groups or small operators. Gloucester will continue to be managed by Council. The Manning Aquatic and Leisure Centre and Great Lakes Aquatic Centre will be operated through a specialist contract which will be re-tendered.

BACKGROUND

• We have recently reviewed the operation of public swimming pools across the MidCoast
• We looked at how the pools are being used and what they cost to operate and maintain
• The Royal Life Saving Society conducted independent safety audits of each pool
• We are now implementing a range of changes to bring our pool operations up to industry standards
• Changes will start from the start of the 2024-25 swim season

view the reView & Recommendations summary

To view the document in full-screen in the interactive PDF viewer above, select the bracket icon at the bottom-right side the toolbar to enable full-screen.

If you are having trouble viewing the document in the interactive PDF viewer, you may also download the documents below.