“You can’t swim in a strategy”: Port Fairy community wants tangible action, not another pool report worth $100k

A six-figure investigation has been approved, but the Port Fairy Community Pool Group says the region is still waiting for tangible action on reopening the town’s closed pool.

• “The community were keen to hear something a little more concrete in the council's commitment to the future of the Port Fairy Pool,” the group said in a statement.

Quick catch up: The Belfast Aquatics indoor pool in Port Fairy has remained closed since November after mould and structural issues were identified, sparking widespread community backlash over the sudden shutdown and a lack of clear communication from Moyne Shire Council. 

• In the months since, residents have rallied, launched a petition and issued an open letter calling for transparency and a commitment to keeping the facility open. 

• Councillors voted 4-2 to spend $100,000 on an investigation into the pool to inform future decision making.

What happened? Councillors were divided during Tuesday’s meeting on whether commissioning another investigation was the right step, with debate centred on costs, community expectations and whether the ageing facility should be repaired or replaced.

• “There are a lot of community members who are disappointed with the council's decision to invest money in yet another report and not in fixing the pool,” the statement said. “We hoped for an announcement regarding remediation works on the ground that are urgently needed to repair the pool. As someone once said, ‘you can’t swim in a strategy’.”

“There are also still many unanswered questions as to the process taken to lead to the closure of the pool.”

Keeping council accountable: While critical of the spend, the group acknowledged the council's renewed willingness to engage with the community.

• “We take that commitment very seriously and will make sure that the council is doing their job, engaging with the community and advocating for our needs in a transparent way,” the statement said.

“There is merit in the argument that the money could be spent on repairing the pool itself and getting the Learn To Swim, rehabilitation and fitness classes started again.”