Council dips in to help

East Gippsland Shire Council will continue to assist with the running costs of the Swifts Creek Memorial Pool, providing community members certainty the facility is open for all to enjoy a cooling dip.

The community pool is located on land owned by the Department of Education and operated and managed in partnership with the Swifts Creek P-12 and a locally formed committee of management, but has been subsidised by Council for some time.

With the existing operational subsidy to the committee having expired, Council resolved at its December 11 meeting to continue this annual subsidy (increased by $2,000 to $10,500).

Mayor Cr Natalie O’Connell said the subsidy increase to $10,500 a reasonable contribution toward a service that has wide reaching health and community benefit. 

“Providing the subsidy to ensure the pool remains operational falls well within the Council Plan, ensuring residents have a safe, accessible and well utilised infrastructure that reflect the priorities of our community,” Cr O’Connell said.

“The pool was originally developed on the school site with the support of the former Shire of Omeo and the Victorian Government and represents an important element of the physical and social infrastructure of the area.

“The facility provides a valuable social hub, and place for positive healthy activity for people of all ages. Importantly the facility is used for swimming lessons, a lifelong skill that can have a major impact on a person’s health and wellbeing.

“It is so highly valued by the community they have accepted and have successfully implemented a community based approach to management of the site.”

Council will also provide a subsidy to the Swifts Creek P-12 School of $4,000 per annum, to purchase public liability insurance for the community use element of the operation of the pool.

The subsidy is included in Council’s 2018/19 Annual Budget.