After decades of waiting, Kingborough's pool dreams get a splash of cash

A public swimming pool for Kingborough has been talked about for years, could the wheels finally have started turning on the long-awaited facility?

(L-R) Nic Street, Liberal candidate for Nelson, and Kingborough Council Mayor Dean Winter back a proposal for a swimming pool at the Kingborough Sports Precinct at Kingston. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

A PUBLIC swimming pool for the fast-growing municipality of Kingborough is a step closer following a State Government commitment to finance a feasibility study into the proposal.

The Government has allocated $50,000 for a report that will investigate the viability of an aquatic centre at the Kingborough sports precinct.

The funds will be allocated to Kingborough Council, which voted at its last meeting for the council to undertake a feasibility assessment for a 25m indoor community swimming pool at the sports precinct.

Mayor Dean Winter said the funds would help the council determine the most workable model for a pool.

He said it was likely a private operator would be best placed to operate a pool, and the council would consider gifting land for the purpose.

(L-R) Gabriella Lohrey, 15, of Kingston, Kingborough Council Mayor Dean Winter, Maddie Lohrey, 19, of Kingston, Nic Street Liberal candidate for Nelson, Sarah Glancy, 15, of Kingston. Proposal for a swimming pool at the Kingborough Sports Precinct at Kingston. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

“Council has not yet locked into a model, but it is likely we would gift the land to the successful operator after an expressions of interest process,” Cr Winter said.

A pool for the region has been on the drawing board for more than 40 years, but the plan has been consistently shelved because it is considered too expensive an undertaking for Kingborough Council.

Nelson Liberal candidate Nic Street, who sought and secured the $50,000 from the State Government, said a pool was a long-awaited facility for the community.

“A pool is long overdue. It’s got to the point where it’s a necessity for a community that is growing as quickly as Kingborough,” Mr Street said.

He said a community pool had been proposed since 1977, when the first plan for the Kingborough Sports Centre was put to council.

“I think the population has more than doubled in that time,” Mr Street said.

“I’ve been doorknocking, and whenever you knock on the door of a young family, the first thing they say they want is a pool.”

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Kingston already has a 17m long privately operated heated indoor pool, but Mr Street said the community had grown so rapidly there was now high demand for another larger pool.

In its Kingborough Sports Centre Future Directions Plan, the council says the cost of owning and operating a pool would be too much for the council.

“No value exists in council owning or operating a swimming pool ... the most successful and realistic model is for community swimming pools to be operated by commercial entities or business operators who specialise in the industry and specifically in learn-to-swim and education-based swimming programs,” the plan says.

The plan says a 25m indoor swimming pool with associated hydro therapy pool “is the type of facility that would best fit the needs of Kingborough”.

Kingston Beach Surf Life Saving vice-president Philippa Lohrey said a pool would allow club members to train in the off-season and be a boost for the community.

“It’s great to promote swimming in the community for safer beaches,” she said.

Ms Lohrey said families and schools would appreciate a pool close by to save on driving into the city or Eastern Shore.

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