Pools in the Warrumbungle Shire have been a massive talking point over summer and it seems most residents are fed up with the ongoing issues.

While there has been much talk about the ageing, dilapidated and faltering swimming pool facilities in Coonabarabran, the issues are much wider spread, with residents from other towns across the Shire highlighting problems such as accessibility and admittance costs for families.

One family that spoke to the Coonabarabran Times said the pool situation in the Shire was part of the reason they recently packed up and moved away.

Others have cried out for newer, modern facilities and for the pools to actually open to the public.

The Flood family spend a lot of time at the Coonabarabran Pool (when it is open) so youngsters Henley and Daley can train.

The whole family have close connections with the town pool and swimming club, with Adam Flood having held the 10 years boys’ 33-metre record since 1995. That record stood the test of time until recently, when Henley bettered his father’s time at the 2023 school carnival.

Henley also broke the 33-metre backstroke record which had stood since 1993 and, funnily enough, that record was previously held by his uncle, Luke Flood. So, if it’s one thing the Floord family is familiar with it’s the Coonabarabran Pool and the quality (or lack thereof) of the facility.

It’s fair to say they and others are at their wits’ end with the situation. The family have even been known to travel to Narrabri pool so the youngsters can train in “decent” conditions.

“We understand that the Shire has six pools to look after, but Coonabarabran is the biggest town of them all,” Adam said.

“There should be at least one decent 50-metre pool where kids, schools and parents can all come from the other smaller towns and swim or compete – and that should be centred here in Coonabarabran.”

One family that spoke to the Coonabarabran Times said the pool situation in the Shire was part of the reason they recently packed up and moved away.

Jenna Flood said the current condition of the pool was not good enough for residents and those who fork out for a season pass.

“First of all, it’s hardly been open because of the issues with the water quality,” she said. “A lot of the times it’s dirty and there’s grass and leaves and green bits in there.

“They [Council] need to provide more staff to facilitate more opening hours and make it overall cleaner and tidier.

“Look at Coonamble Pool. They have a 50-metre pool and they even have half of it shaded.

“There’s no shade over our pool, so you can’t spend long in there before you have to get out.

“It should just be bulldozed and ideally replaced with a heated 50-metre pool so people can use it throughout the year.”

PICTURED: The Flood family has a close connection to the pool, but they say enough is enough and it’s time for a new, improved facility

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Social swimmers 

A Coonabarabran resident who wished to remain anonymous said they had witnessed with their own eyes the negative impact the pool situation is having on the town and its residents. Over the past few weeks they said they have seen a multitude of reactions from members of the public.

“I have seen little kids standing at the pool gate crying because it’s so hot and they just want to go for a swim and cool off, but it’s closed,” the person said.

“I’ve seen older kids and teenagers respond by getting angry – and I don’t blame them. I overheard some of them say how crap this town is and that no one cares.

“I have seen little kids standing at the pool gate crying because it’s so hot and they just want to go for a swim and cool off, but it’s closed. And then you get the baffed look of travellers who stop to go for a swim but can’t get in.”

“And then you’ve got parents with kids who turn up when the pool is open and the disappointment on their faces when they realise its $4 to $5 each; it’s so expensive for them to get in and their only other option is to pay $300 or so for a season pass. Most families can’t afford to do that.

“And then you get the baffed look of travellers who stop to go for a swim but can’t get in.

“It’s honestly just a shambles.”

The person said they would like Warrumbungle Shire Council to be more transparent when it comes to the pool, its operations and funding. They also urged Council staff to stop viewing it as a money issue and a burden.

“Instead of looking at it as a burden to town, it should be looked at as a health and safety issue and a good service they can provide the town,” they said.

“Because, I mean, let’s be honest – there’s very little in our town for the youth to do as it is and then they go and shut the one place the kids can go for something to do, or they make it too expensive for them and they wonder why vandalism is on the rise.”

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THE WASH-UP

Coonabarabran Pool: 19 November 2022 to 3 March 2023

Total pool days: 105

Open to the public: 60 days

Open to key holders only: 34 days

Closed to all: 11 days

Casual admission: $4.20

Season ticket (individual): $135

Season ticket (family): $269.50

 

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Training for competition

A former Coonabarabran resident said she packed her small family up and moved away, partly due to the situation with the pool. Aimee Rossler said there were several reasons her family made the decision to move, but the state of the pool and its governance was a big part of that choice.

When the family did reside in Coonabarabran, she would do the hour-long trip to Gunnedah at 4.30am three days a week so her children Gareth (12) and Chelsea (13), who are avid swimmers, could train.

“When the local pool is only open four-and-a-half months of the year it’s very diffcult for any children to improve, they need year round access,” Mrs Rossler said. “So, getting up at 4.30am was just the right thing to do as a parent.”

But away from training and competing, Mrs Rossler said it was important for the Coonabarabran facility to be improved for many community groups in town.

“When the local pool is only open four-and-a-half months of the year it’s very diffcult for any children to improve, they need year round access."

“Not many people use it now, but if they built a decent heated pool with proper disabled access and created nice facilities, people would come and use it – and so many different groups would beneft.

“It’s in dire need of an overhaul.”

Ideally, Mrs Rossler said new improvements would include having a heated 25 or 50-metre swimming pool, new change rooms, solar pool heating and a splash park.

“Coonabarabran is sunny most of the time, so take advantage of solar and make it heated so it can be used year round,” she said. “And it has got to be made fun. Like with a splash park or something that the kids will enjoy.”

Cool-off for workers

Marko Nei was a working visitor to Coonabarabran who was here for four weeks. He and a crew of workers were responsible for erecting the shade structure at the Coonabarabran Public School.

He was shocked one day when he and some of his work mates knocked off and ventured across the road to cool off at the town pool. It had been a sweltering day and the team of workers was looking forward to taking a dip.

“When you’re a roofer and you’re up working in 38-degree heat at 3pm in the afternoon and you look across the road and there’s a pool, but when you get over there the gate’s locked and it’s closed to the public – well, it was just weird and frustrating,” he said.

“I work all over NSW and I’ve never come across anything like that before.”

The Coonabarabran Times spoke to Marko on Tuesday, 7 March, another warm and windy day and yet another day the pool was closed to the general public.

“I was hoping to go for a swim and cool off today, but it’s closed again,” he said. “It’s very frustrating. It really should be open to the public.”

PICTURED: Visiting contractor, Marko Nei was frustrated at not being able to cool off at the Coonabarabran pool due to it being shut to the general public.

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Opportunity for Active Kids

Mendooran pool user Lyndall O’Leary said for the most part she and other pool users were happy with their local facility.

Ms O’Leary runs the Merrygoen Aqua Club and said the pool has been clean and well maintained, apart from one week when testing results forced Council to close the facility to the public. 

“It’s a big shire, we get it, but we need our pool; we miss out on enough without missing out on our pool.”

"It was a bit disappointing because we were swimming in the pool at the time they did the tests and the water was as clear and clean as usual,” she said.

While the Mendooran Pool has been given an overall thumbs up, Ms O’Leary said she would like to see the Warrumbungle Shire Council take steps to be able to accept the Active Kids vouchers to go towards season passes.

More access, more affordable

The message from the Baradine community is clear. They need more access to their pool. Baradine resident Maureen Smith said as far as she could tell the pool didn’t seem to have any problems with cleanliness, but the issue in Baradine is simply access.

“For the times I’ve been there it’s been pretty clean, clear and nice, so I don’t think there’s been issues there,” she said.

“The problem is that it’s not open enough and it has been made unaffordable.

“You have to remember, Baradine is very much a low-income town. “As a single person it costs me something like $130 for a season pass, and it’s more for families.

“It’s a big shire, we get it, but we need our pool; we miss out on enough without missing out on our pool.

“Plus, it gets extremely hot out here."