North Bellarine Aquatic Centre in Drysdale set to close for seven months soon after opening

A federal MP has written to City Hall in an attempt to keep open a brand new $15.5m swimming pool on the Bellarine Peninsula that only opened late last year. HAVE YOUR SAY.

Louise and Chris Skeen are regular users of the new North Bellarine Aquatic Centre and have launched a petition in an attempt to push out its impending closure.

A brand new $15m swimming pool on the Bellarine is set to close in the coming weeks due to operational costs that council can’t meet, riling up locals who waited years for the facility only to learn it will soon shut.

The council-run North Bellarine Aquatic Centre (NBAC) in Drysdale opened with much fanfare in November.

It has since been visited more than 24,000 times, but some users say they have only just learnt that the heated outdoor 50m pool will be off limits from April through to October because of the squeeze on council’s finances.

Regular attendee Louise Skeen has launched a petition in the hope of keeping the gates open longer and Corangamite MP Libby Coker has written to Geelong council chief executive Ali Wastie over what she labelled a “premature closure”.

Swimmers celebrated the opening of the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre in November. Picture: Alan Barber.

Ms Coker wants the pool to remain open until the end of April and then reopen in October, thus reducing the closure to five months.

“Right from the outset, my consistent message to council was the community wanted a pool that would be open and accessible on an ongoing basis,” she said.

“Unfortunately, my concerns and the concerns of the community regarding year-round access have proven valid, as evidenced by the dissatisfaction expressed by residents.”

Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said it was originally planned for the pool to open 12 months a year but the change to a seasonal facility – announced prior to its opening – was due to the “difficult financial environment”.

“The aim is to introduce year-round opening times when budget allows,” he said.

Lifeguard and swimmer Nicole Forastieri at the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre. Picture: Alan Barber.

Ms Skeen, a regular pool user, described the closure as “an absolute kick in the teeth” for the local community.

She wrote to council last month and was told NBAC members had reciprocal rights to the Bellarine Aquatic and Sports Centre in Ocean Grove, as well as Splashdown in Moolap.

“Operational hours for the 2024-25 season will be reviewed at the end of this season and any changes will be based on usage and made in line with the city’s endorsed budget,” Ms Skeen was told.

Similar to Ms Coker’s request to council, Ms Skeen’s petition, launched this week, seeks to have NBAC open until the end of May, before reopening in October.

“How on earth can the City of Greater Geelong think this makes sense?” Ms Skeen said.

“The pool is heated and can be used year-round … it still has to be maintained over the closed months, including cleaning and gardening, which requires ongoing costs.

“All it would need is an admin person and a lifeguard.”

The federal and state governments have committed $20m each to a second-stage expansion of the NBAC.

While a timeline remains unclear, it is set to feature a range of indoor facilities, including pools, a gym and spa.

“Government and the community have an expectation the centre will be open year-round once complete … and there is an onus on council to meet this expectation,” Ms Coker told Ms Wastie in her letter.

Originally published as North Bellarine Aquatic Centre in Drysdale set to close for seven months soon after opening