Interest in Tiaro pool all washed up, group says

THE former spokesman for the now defunct Tiaro and District Community Pool Inc says the organisation closed because of a lack of support from the council.

THE former spokesman for the now defunct Tiaro and District Community Pool Inc says the organisation closed because of a lack of support from the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

Allen Hunter said the group was formed a few years ago to establish a swimming pool and club at the Tiaro school for local families.

However, two councillors said they had shown keen interest in the project, with Councillor Phil Truscott still in talks to keep the project alive.

Mr Hunter said the more than $40,000 that had been raised for the project would now be donated to local charities after the group was told by the council the pool would cost more than $1.2 million to build.

"We could have raised the money but council weren't interested," Mr Hunter said.

Councillor Darren Everard went to two of the group's meetings to provide feedback and offer advice.

He said the council made no suggestions the group drop its plans.

Cr Truscott, whose division includes Tiaro, said he had recently read an open letter from Mr Hunter, saying he had never attended a pool meeting.

"The truth is I was never invited to a meeting, however in my travels I noted this meeting was on from a brochure on a noticeboard, so as I have a keen interest in Tiaro, I asked my colleague, Cr Everard, to attend on my behalf ... I was already booked at other functions," he said.

Cr Truscott said he would love to see a pool in Tiaro and there was a chance the pool would still go ahead, as he was working on a joint venture with the State Government, after costings were released.