The Ross community is fighting back with a petition against the Northern Midlands Council's plans to dispose of the town's swimming pool.
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The council's decided at its May meeting to look at disposing of the Ross Swimming Pool and it will decide how to conduct community consultation on the issue at its June meeting.
It had the option to only upgrade the amenities, which it claimed were in desperate need of attention at a cost of $550,000, or to undertake all upgrades at a cost of more than $1 million.
The council claims the pool's usage is low, and had been for the last few years, and it was the 'most difficult' pool to recruit lifeguards for compared to Campbell Town or Cressy.
Ross Community Sport Club president Christine Robinson is refuting all of the council's claims.
She said the pool had good attendance and had no problem recruiting lifeguards each year, but was not allowed to have their own and had to share with Campbell Town.
"Every year without fail, we recruit our own lifeguards," she said.
"We bought everything this year alone and they usually send us a bill for about $4000 at the end of the season. I think the biggest cost to them is the lifeguard wages.
"Any work that gets done, like the pool cleaning and mowing the grass and stuff, it's all done by volunteers ... they don't do that."
In the 2018/19 financial year, the council spent $34,563 on the pool including staff wages, for lifeguards and for council staff to chlorinate and generally clean the pool, and depreciation costs. The depreciation costs were not outlined by NMC.
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Mayor Mary Knowles said although the community contributed 'significant fundraising' efforts, the facility had 'very low community utilisation' compared to other NMC pools.
She said the number of people who used the pool had dropped 'considerably' in recent years.
"I realise the health benefits for the community, but the council has no choice but to consider the cost of running and maintaining two pools in towns so close to each other," Cr Knowles said.
"The Campbell Town Swimming Pool, which is only 9.1 kilometres north of Ross, and the Cressy pool, both have solid and consistent numbers of swimmers throughout the season."
The council claimed it may only attract one or two patrons in an afternoon but according to the pool's December-January figures, for the 51 days it was open, it recorded 925 visitors and an average of 18 people a day.
The community will lodge a petition against the council's desire to dispose of the pool, at the council's June 29 meeting, and it has already amassed more than 200 hundred signatures.
Ms Robinson said the pool had been part of the community for 58 years and was a valued asset.
"We want council to reconsider their intention to dispose of the pool," she said.
"If they're worried about the cost of all three pools, Ross costs them the least and the community contributes the most.
"People are outraged and angry. They will definitely find out what the community is thinking if they come down and face us."
At the Ross Local District Committee's June meeting it said it was aware of 'deep community concerns' regarding the pool's disposal and requested the NMC reconsider its intentions.
Cr Knowles said the council would consult with the community 'in a transparent and meaningful way'.
Ms Robinson said there were grants the council could apply for to cover the upgrade costs.
"We'll do their job for them. All they've got to do is let us keep it open for a little longer so we can apply."
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