On the face of it, a vote by Newcastle City Council to slash entry fees to Beresfield Swimming Pool from the $5 proposed for 2014/15 to just $2.80 must seem a big win for local people.
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This came about when Labor Cr Jason Dunn from Ward 4 saw his amendment to council’s fees and charges policy passed successfully on Tuesday night.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think there could be such a dramatic price reduction,” Barracudas Swimming Club chairman Greg Skinner said.
Cr Dunn said price reduction could be a real game changer for the pool.
But as both men have stated, cutting entry fees is only part of a solution to encourage more people to use the pool.
It may be much cheaper to swim at Beresfield this summer, but apart from water, what else does Beresfield pool have to offer?
Both men believed Newcastle City Council still wants to close the pool and this coming season would be the vital chance for people to be there and show they want it to stay open.
Many believe it is not good enough for council to cut the entry fees.
And if things don’t work out, council could claim that closing the pool would be justified.
So while local people have their big chance to play their part and turn up at the pool this coming season, the council needs to spend some money to make it a more attractive place.
For a start, it needs activities like learn-to-swim programs. The pool needs to have more water activity and playground-style equipment so it will be an attractive place to visit.
It should be more of a water park like Maitland, with good temperature controls so people can use it all year round.
So perhaps now is the time for Newcastle City Council to see how it can rebuild Beresfield pool to make it more user-friendly.
