Councillor James Owen’s pitch for new Olympic-sized swimming pool in north of Tweed Shire gains traction

Dreams of a new Olympic-sized swimming pool in the Tweed may take shape, with one councillor “committed” to pushing for “one of the hottest things at the moment for the community”.

An aerial shot over the Tweed. Picture: Tweed Shire Council.

A proposal for a new Olympic-sized pool in the Tweed has caused quite a splash online.

Tweed Shire Councillor James Owen took to Facebook in recent days to ask whether the community would support getting a new pool in the north of the shire.

“Swimming is such a huge part of our lifestyle and culture here,” Mr Owen said.

“I’ve had so many people coming to me about a 50 metre pool … it’s probably one of the hottest things at the moment for the community.”

The only council-run Olympic-sized pool in the Tweed is at Murwillumbah. It follows the controversial closure of Banora Point Oasis Pools.

Tweed Shire councillor James Owen is a driving force behind a push for a new Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Mr Owen’s pitch immediately received widespread attention and hundreds of comments.

“We urgently need a (sic) Olympic Pool for Tweed/Banora/Terranora area … My kids and I swam regularly at Tweed Aquatic Centre but that pool is so old and small,” one woman wrote.

“Let’s combine it with a synthetic athletics track and make it a draw card for big events. Lots of money in sports tourism,” another chipped in.

While it is still early days, Mr Owen said he said there were models for a council-built pool which could help avoid rate rises, including state government funding.

“We need to look at what sort of model there would be to running it, whether it would be council owned or some sort of partnership approach,” he said.

“Rate rises aren’t something I want to be part of the solution … the community is already under enough pressure financially.”

Mr Owen said he was not pitching the pool simply as a popularity play to bolster support.

The only Olympic-sized council-run pool in the Tweed is at Murwillumbah.

“I’d like to think my record speaks for itself that I’m committed to doing what’s good for the community,” he said.

“I wouldn't put something like that out there if I wasn’t prepared to put the work into trying to make it happen.”

It comes ahead of the NSW Local Government elections in September.

Mr Owen said he was having “conversations” with interested parties.

Along with councillor Rhiannon Brinsmead, Mr Owen plans to put a notice of motion up at the next Tweed Shire Council meeting, pushing for the council to investigate options for the pool.

Club Banora Oasis Pool being filled in with concrete on June 27, 2023. Picture: Mandy Schaefer.

Since the private Banora pool closure, residents have expressed doubts the community asset – in which famed backstroke swimmers Sophie Edington, Josh Watson and Chris Fydler previously trained – will ever return to its former glory.

Banora Point resident Kathryn Raper began an online petition to keep the pool open on February 6, 2022, which has gained over 5000 signatures.