Port Macquarie swimming lessons: Swim instructor speaks out about pool closures

A Mid-North Coast swim instructor has spoken out about the lack of facilities for vulnerable children to learn vital water safety, following the collapse of an indoor pool.

Autism Swim instructor Paula Allsop has nowhere to run aquatic programs for children with disabilities.

Mrs Allsop has been running aquatic programs for children living with disabilities on the Mid North Coast for the past two years.

However she says the recent collapse of Port Macquarie’s Learn to Swim pool has left her with nowhere to provide the water safety classes.

“So the Port indoor pool has collapsed while people were using it – you could see that it was bowing but I never thought a pool could just collapse like that.

“The Wauchope indoor pool has now been closed indefinitely and the brand new heat pumps that were just installed at Kendall and Laurieton pools have been turned off,” Mrs Allsop told The Mid North Coast News.

Paula Allsop.

Mrs Allsop would normally hire the facility for a few hours every Saturday, sharing it with other local swim instructors, hydrotherapy and rehabilitation physiotherapists and occupational therapists who also conduct lessons there.

“It’s going to leave a lot of people without access which is appalling – we’re a coastal town,” she said.

Mrs Allsop said the whole ordeal had put further pressure on the already “crazy long wait lists” for regular swimming lessons in the few private businesses available locally and, for the more vulnerable residents who need one-on-one facilities, there is nothing.

The indoor pool after it gave way.

“Because of their sensory issues, children living with autism can’t be in a pool if there’s a heap of other kids and noise, or even in the outside pools with rain and wind,” she said.

“Believe me, I have been searching and asking.

“I don’t understand how these things are happening. When we are talking about children not being taught basic water survival skills, time is of the essence.”

The local swim instructor is demanding answers and she’s not the only one concerned about the state of the region’s pools.

Locals are supporting Mrs Allsop on social media, commenting on a post she shared intended to “ruffle a few feathers” and get to the bottom of this problem.

“We live in a bloody country surrounded by water! Every child should have the opportunity to learn to swim no matter what,” one woman commented on social media.

“So bloody sad,” another person commented.

“It’s not good enough. Again those people who need a bit of an extra hand in life get shafted,” another comment reads.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council group manager of community, Lucilla Marshall, said the local government had been working closely with the Y regarding pool management since they formed a partnership earlier this year.

An old photo shows the rusting back right corner of the indoor pool.

“Recently, we experienced an unfortunate incident at our Port Macquarie Olympic Pool that resulted in the failure of the above ground Learn to Swim pool,” Mrs Marshall said.

“This incident is still under investigation, and the pool remains closed.

“As would be expected of any organisation in this situation, the Y has been providing ongoing support and assistance to those members who were directly impacted.”

In terms of the Wauchope pool, Mrs Marshall said this will remain closed until November as council takes proactive measures to ensure it is running smoothly and safely in light of the recent incident at Port Macquarie.

“This is a precautionary measure only, and we look forward to being able to reopen this facility in the weeks ahead,” she said.

Mrs Allsop, who immediately hired the Wauchope facility following the collapse in Port Macquarie, was told the day after booking that it was shut down and safety inspections would be happening this week.

“It’s irrelevant whether or not it will open in a few weeks or whatever – the fact that this public pool was put in last year and it now seems to not be passing a safety inspection, doesn’t seem right,” she said.

Mrs Allsop said learning water safety was vital for vulnerable young people.

“I would assume council would be having annual safety inspections or something, or there would’ve been one when the Y took over, so it just doesn’t really make sense.”

Regarding the newly-installed heat pumps at Kendall and Laurieton, council confirmed these would be offline for 10 days as it awaited approvals from Essential Energy for new electrical loads on the grid.

“This is a new requirement and Essential Energy’s portal has been under maintenance which has exacerbated the approval process,” Mrs Marshall said.

“As soon as the approvals are issued, the pumps will be turned back on.”

But the timing of it all seems suspicious according to Mrs Allsop.

“It’s like they went ‘oh hang on, people are looking at our pools, we better turn those pumps off’ – which mightn’t be correct, but that’s how I see it,” she said.

“I’ve got nothing against the management of the pools, they’ve been helpful throughout this situation, but the buck stops with council.

“The council really needs to step up because our area needs it.

“I imagine this problem could be fixed quite quickly with enough money.”

Mrs Allsop referred to the “ridiculous” $500,000 Switch on Seymour project in Laurieton, saying that kind of money “could have built a pool, easy”.

She said for those at the centre of it all – the children who are unable to learn how to swim – the pool closures presented significant safety as well as deeper issues.

“It’s stopped their progress, and now there’s nothing,” she said.

“The kids all look forward to it because it’s a social thing too. Obviously it’s impacted my business as well, but that’s not my motivation for this as I can always pivot – I’m just very passionate about providing this service because we just want these kids to have water survival skills.”

Port Macquarie state Liberal MP Leslie Williams and the Y have both declined to comment.