Macleay Island could soon lose its only swimming spot at Pats Park

Residents on a highly populated island just 30km from Brisbane fear they will lose the only place where it is safe to swim following a council ‘review of assets’.

An Island off the Qld coast, with a growing population, could lose the only spot where residents can swim. Picture: Supplied.

A booming island community fears they may lose the only place they can safely swim as the council announces it is “undertaking a review” to determine whether the site is worth renewing.

Located off the coast of Redland Bay, Macleay Island is home to more than 3000 residents – and just one netted swimming area, Pat’s Park.

The protected area is where many locals choose to teach their children to swim, where people who are elderly and disabled go to exercise, and where tourism can thrive.

Redland City Council has announced a review of swimming facilities along the bayside, including the one on Macleay Island.

“As part of this process, the community will be surveyed to determine current use and likely future demand and access to the enclosures,” a Redland City Council spokeswoman said.

“The renewal of enclosures will be subject to (the) Council project prioritisation and budget approval.”

Macleay Island swimming committee member, Marieke Janssen, conducted a community survey on the matter which received more than 300 responses in a few days.

Head of Macleay Island Swimming Committee, Marieke Janssen. Picture: Supplied.

“One of the ladies on our swimming committee got in touch with council and they told her they were assessing seven swimming assets across the shire, across the council, and one of which was the netted swimming area here on the Island at Pat’s Park,” Ms Janssen said.

While the review is still underway and no decision on the facility has yet been made, she said losing Pat’s Park as a swimming destination would be devastating to Macleay Island residents, and would hinder the ability for families to teach their children how to swim.

Here is what some residents had to say about the facility:

Impact on children and families

Families wanting to teach their children how to swim fear the potential removal of the shark net at Pat’s Park will leave them with no option but to trek over to the mainland at Russell Island to swim.

“Other than transport and parking, our swimming facilities are the main issue on the island,” Ms Janssen said.

“It’s so incredibly important for children to learn how to swim and for families to have fun.

“It’s good for your mental and physical health, to exercise and socialise, the kids need to learn how to swim.”

Ms Janssen said the net provided a safe way for families and children to swim without worry about what lay outside the net.

“The nets are there to keep us safe because we have bull sharks in the area,” she said.

“The net needs to be wider and bigger so you can access it more at lower tide and maybe even do laps.

“It’s so hot in Queensland and we need to swim on those hot days.”

Call for more age-friendly/disability-friendly swimming opportunities

Seventy-five-year-old local, Anne McDowell, said swimming on Macleay Island needed to be made elderly and disability-friendly.

“There’s lots of people here who would love nothing more than to go swimming, but just can’t manage to get there, it’s devastating” Ms McDowell said.

She said in order to access the water at Pat’s Park, her husband and daughter had to assist her in getting in and out.

“When you’re walking in the sand, it sinks in and if you have issues with your legs, that sinking sand makes it hard,” Ms McDowell said.

“The bank is steep, it’s breaking up, and when you walk into the water you have nothing to hold on to.

“We need a physical entrance to the water so that somebody could walk into the water and have a handrail to hold onto.”

Macleay Island resident, Anne McDowell, 75. Picture: Supplied.

Ms McDowell said other people, like her husband Robert, would also benefit from having a safe area where they can swim.

“I take my husband, Robert, (78) who has an acquired brain injury and he is difficult to control without a netting around him because he just decides to keep going and I can’t stop him,” she said.

She said it was vital that she and her husband had access to swimming facilities for their health and wellbeing, and it was out of the question to travel to Russell Island given her poor mobility.

Another resident Gai Lawler said she enjoyed taking her elderly mum down to Pat’s Park, but making the trip was nearly impossible.

“I’ve got an 89-year-old mother and it’s very pebbly and tender on her feet,” Ms Lawler said.

“It needs to have some sort of matting put down and/or at least some rails so you can put the pressure off your feet.”

Macleay Island resident, Gai Lawler. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Lawler said there is no aid to get into the water itself, which makes it impossible for her elderly mum to swim.

“Then once she gets in, she can’t get up, so it would be good to swim over to a bar and be able to get yourself up, stand up, and get out,” she said.

“If we had a tidal pool put in there’d be less maintenance, it would work with our tide times, and it would require a lot less services, it just adds to our natural environment.

“Swimming is the quality of life.

“She can‘t have that quality of life unless there’s some sort of infrastructure put in place.”

A Redland City Council spokeswoman said recommendations to renew swimming enclosures, including the possibility of mobility impaired access at Pat’s Park, would be made upon completion of the review.

Macleay Island tourist opportunity

With the new upgrades to the Macleay Island ferry terminal, new tourist opportunities are brewing for the island.

“The islands are being discovered,” resident Gai Lawler said.

“We have got lots of influx of new people coming to the island whether it’s Airbnb or holiday homes, they are coming.

Residents enjoying Pats Park on Macleay Island. Picture: Supplied.

“There’s a school, there’s everything here, there’s aged care, we just need a good swimming facility.”

Ms Lawler said the island needed to take advantage of its assets to boost its tourism.

“The island really needs to hone in on its natural beauty to increase those benefits.”