Banora Point Oasis Pools future in question after equipment failures

A failing heating system has meant a community pool will shut its gates through the winter as families and swim teams fear for its long-term future.

Bianca Wood and Kathryn Raper with children Noah, 2 and Nevaeh Cridland ,3, are campaigning to keep the Banora Point Oasis pool open. Picture: Liana Walker

Kathryn Raper’s family has been swimming at the Banora Point Oasis Pool for three generations but this winter will be the first time more than 30 years they won’t be able to dive in.

The pool, which owned by Twin Towns at Club Banora, will close on April 30 due to numerous pieces of failing equipment.

Ms Raper, like many other Tweed residents, first found out through a post on a community Facebook page.

She started a petition online which has gathered more than 2000 in three days.

“We’d love to see whatever we could do to make sure it stays,” Ms Raper said.

Bianca Wood and Kathryn Raper with children Noah, 2 and Nevaeh Cridland, 3, are campaigning to keep the Banora Point Oasis pool open. Picture: Liana Walker

The pool hosts school carnivals, birthdays, swimming lessons and fun days.

It is also open to the general public.

Ms Raper said she would be open to publicly fundraising if it meant it would keep the pool open.

“If everyone gave $50 or so I think that would make a big chunk towards helping support the cost of doing it,” she said.

“I think this is something that really needs to be saved – for the generations that have moved here, for the little people growing up who are going to school and are having swimming carnivals.”

She said she was eager to work with Twin Towns to come up with a solution.

Her daughter Bianca Wood, who recently held a birthday party for her two-year-old Noah at the pool, said she visited the pool up to three times a week with her children.

“I’ve been here even through the winter – the pool with the heating is great,” Ms Wood said.

“My daughter (Nevaeh, 3) had swimming lessons here when she was little and throughout winter.”

“Hopefully we can all work together to save it all.”

‘It will make a big impact’

The group most impacted by the winter closure will be the Twin Towns Swim Team who will have to cancel their annual winter meet.

Club secretary Faye Rowles said she was concerned not being able to train through the winter would impact the squad’s performance.

“Without heated water they have either go elsewhere or stop swimming during the winter,” Mrs Rowles sad.

“It will make a big impact.”

She said it was positive to see the community getting behind the pool and was hopeful it would at least reopen for the summer.

An ageing facility

Twin Towns CEO Rob Smith said the pool’s heating system had completely failed leaving the club no way to keep it warm during winter.

“The filters are also unserviceable and we hope to be able to limp them through until the end of April as well but we can’t truly assess them or make any decisions on replacement options that might be available while the pool is operating,” he said.

“These two items are critical but certainly not the end of the challenges the ageing facility is facing.”

Oasis Pools at Banora Point is used for swim training and school carnivals.

He said the closure would allow staff to properly assess all of the major repairs or replacements needed.

Mr Smith said it was rare for pools to not be owned and operated by local government who could use rates revenue to maintain and redevelop the facilities.

“The club does not have that benefit and needs to consider the costs in relation to all of our plans and commitments,” Mr Smith said.

“We will however, engage with all levels of government on their appetite to financially support the facility going forward given its unique place and history in the Tweed.”

He said the club had not considered selling the pool and had no intentions to.

Instead they’re negotiating with the longstanding operators, Gail and Andrew Hunter, the options for operating learn to swim and as a summer pool without heating.

If the summer program goes ahead, the pool would reopen in September.

“Those discussions have only just commenced and are contingent on what we identify during the assessment and they are working with us on that aspect as well,” Mr Smith said.

He acknowledged the petition and said he understood the “passion” but it did not address the issues at hand.

‘Expensive undertaking’

Tweed Shire Council general manager Troy Green.

Tweed Shire Council general manager Troy Green said the council was not in the business of “investing ratepayers’ funds in privately-owned facilities”.

“We regard this as an issue for the club’s board and members to resolve,” Mr Green said.

“The purchase and refurbishment of the Oasis facility is not identified in council’s strategies or long-term financial plans.”

He said the council was not in the position to consider such an expensive undertaking.

“Council currently operates three aquatic centres in the Shire – at Murwillumbah, South Tweed and Kingscliff – at a loss of more than $1 million to the ratepayer each year and we would encourage residents to make use of these facilities,” he said.