The Walgett Memorial swimming pool in New South Wales will not open for the current swimming season due to safety concerns and the determination that it is irreparable. This decision has left the local community, which often experiences summer temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, feeling overlooked.
Roy Butler, the Member for Barwon, is urging the state government to perform an assessment of public swimming facilities to prevent further closures in the future.
As the summer season approaches, residents in inland Australia typically look forward to visiting their local swimming pools. However, the Walgett community will miss out on this seasonal tradition, as their pool has been closed after being labeled unsafe.
This situation leaves limited alternatives for families like Katrina Marshall and her two teenage sons, aged 17 and 14, who find the local rivers unappealing for recreation. “The rivers are polluted, so the kids can’t even enjoy going there,” she lamented. “This summer is going to be quite dull.”
Marshall expressed her frustration, highlighting the ongoing feelings of neglect in rural areas of New South Wales. “We often feel forgotten; we’re just a small town that doesn’t seem to exist unless there’s negative news,” she remarked.
The Walgett Memorial swimming pool has served the community since the early 1960s, but after six decades, it has deteriorated significantly. In 2023, the council decided to decommission the pool rather than attempt repairs that would only provide a temporary solution. The pool was closed again in April of the same year when safety issues were identified.
Jasen Ramien, the mayor of Walgett, stated that closing the facility was a difficult decision but necessary due to safety concerns. “We had no choice but to close the pool; it had reached a point where it was no longer safe for use,” he explained.
Instead of investing approximately $1 million in temporary fixes, the council has opted to focus on constructing a new pool. In a letter to NSW Premier Chris Minns, Ramien emphasized the pool’s significance to the community, describing it as a vital source of relief from both heat and social isolation.
The Walgett Shire Council has also proposed a request for $420,000 from the state government to establish a free daily bus service connecting Walgett to the Collarenebri swimming pool, located about 75 kilometers away.
Former Olympic swim coach Laurie Lawrence has raised concerns about the long-term impact of aging pool facilities, suggesting that it could lead to a generation of children in rural areas who are unable to swim. “Every child deserves the chance to learn how to swim, regardless of where they live,” he said, pointing out that many public pools were built during the 1960s and are now reaching the end of their useful life.
A report by Royal Life Saving Australia highlighted that drowning rates are disproportionately higher among residents from disadvantaged and regional areas compared to those in major cities. In response, Roy Butler has urged the government to conduct an evaluation of swimming facilities statewide, noting that a significant percentage of public pools are located in rural communities.
According to a report commissioned by Royal Life Saving Australia, around 500 pools in Australia may require replacement or substantial repairs within the next decade, with an estimated cost of $8 billion. Ian McShane, an associate professor at RMIT University, has studied the decline of public pools for over 15 years, emphasizing their importance to the social fabric of communities. “Losing a public pool means losing a critical recreational space where individuals from all backgrounds can gather,” he stated, advocating for the recognition of swimming pools as essential infrastructure.
McShane believes that collaboration among all levels of government is crucial to ensure the sustainability of these community assets, as their closure can have significant repercussions for smaller towns.
