Wentworthville swimming pools to undergo major revamp
A year-round learn-to-swim indoor pool, spacious change rooms and a cafe will be built as part of a $8.9 million upgrade of Wentworthville Memorial Swimming Centre.
Parramatta
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A year-round learn-to-swim indoor pool, new change rooms and cafe will be built as part of a $8.9 million upgrade to the Wentworthville Memorial Swimming Centre.
Demolition on the 54-year-old Dunmore St pool will begin after the season ends on March 31 and a completion date is slated for December 2020.
Guildford pools will remain open until February 2020 and will reopen in May 2021 after the revamp.
The updates follow a decade of uncertainty over Wentworthville pools’ future and a campaign to save the pool from closure.
Councillor Lisa Lake said public consultation at Wentworthville raised several ideas for the pool upgrade, which had not changed greatly since it opened 1965.
“One of the worst things was how bad all the change rooms are,’’ she said.
“We don’t even have hot water in the change rooms.”
Under the plans, the 25m pool will be used as a six-lane indoor facility to be used all year for learn-to-swim programs, while the baby pool will become a splash pad.
A lift will also be installed to allow people with disabilities to use the 50m pool.
Consultation raised the need to construct separate change rooms for school groups, private change cells for women and a “decent cafe” fronting the street so the public could use it too.
But many patrons are unhappy about having to travel further almost a year after Parramatta pools shut while Bankwest Stadium was constructed.
Mother-of-two Kellie Willick takes her 11-year-old daughter Yasemin and son Reis, 5, to Wentworthville frequently, and expressed disappointment about the project.
“That’s a real big shame because Parramatta is gone, Granville is disgraceful and Guildford is for doing swimming lessons,’’ she said.
“I reckon there’s nothing wrong with it. I love the big pool.”
The South Wentworthville woman said minor changes could be made without rebuilding the centre.
“The canteen is poorly run. It’s not the cleanest pool in the world,” she said.
“There is debris at the bottom. There is a lot of ants, it’s really bad when you’ve got kids. The ants just swarm us. Those are minor things.”
Yasemin is adamant what she wants to see: “It’s fun but a waterslide would be more fun.”
Westmead’s Fiona Price will be inconvenienced from its closure, just like when Parramatta pools shut in April 2017.
“I don’t have a car. I’m going to have to go to Homebush,’’ she said.
“It’s going to take three hours.
“I love Wenty pools. I love how it’s outdoors. Homebush is quite crowded.”
She has also used the pool for exercise.
“I used to be a runner and I was doing high energy exercise and the cartilage is down to my knee, so some people really need to swim, not everyone can do Zumba or run,’’ Ms Price said.
Westmead resident Nitin Kajale takes his 19-month-old son, Viraj, to the pools and sees the need for improvement.
“I would like to see better facilities,’’ he said.
“The change rooms are way too small, specifically for the little ones.
“If it’s windy all the leaves fall into the pool.”
Greystanes’ Kyle Crighton took his daughter, Lyla, to the pools for the first time on Sunday and rates shade and play equipment as key elements to the upgrade.
“It’s all about the kids for me at this stage — anything that keeps her occupied and in a healthy state,” he said.
IN OTHER WORDS
Plans to upgrade Granville and Merrylands pools have been put on hold.
Wentworthville and Guildford pools were on the chopping block in 2011 and a community campaign saved their demise in 2015.
But in 2016, the closure was placed under review again when then administrator Viv May considered overturning the former Holroyd Council decision to upgrade the pools and build a major aquatic centre at Merrylands.
At the time, he said the $65 million needed for the upgrade were not sustainable.