The pool's committee is refusing to sign a lease with the Northern Midlands Council until community concerns about children's safety are addressed.

During a working bee at the pool last Saturday, the committee and community members arrived to find the toilets and change rooms had been boarded up by the council.

Instead pool users must use the upgraded public facilities at the Campbell Town Recreation Ground, which was completed in 2019, meaning patrons must leave the pool area to use the shared facilities.

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A council spokesperson said it allowed the pool to keep its existing facilities for storage after the upgrades, but it would be stripped of all change room and toilet facilities.

They said the committee was advised the facilities would be boarded up prior to it happening and agreed before work commenced.

"During the consultation and planning that occurred prior to construction of the new facilities, council advised the existing change rooms and toilets would be removed as these did not meet current standards and incurred a high maintenance cost," they said.

"The committee responded that this was a good idea as the area was required for storage of pool equipment.

"Despite this agreement, council was recently made aware that the existing facilities have continued to be utilised by the committee as change room and toilet facilities."

An unanimous decision by the pool committee was made on Monday night to delay the pool's opening to ensure concerns were addressed by the council.

Pool committee president Nicole Graham said she was not aware the facilities were going to be boarded up before it happened and they had not been used as toilets and change rooms last season.

She said having to exit the pool to use the ground's facilities was impractical and left children vulnerable.

"We didn't realise there were any issues with the 'old' pool toilets and change rooms to the extent they needed to be boarded up, and it appears quite sudden," she said.

"I am sure many parents felt very reassured ... when their child or anyone went to the toilets/change rooms at the pool facilities. As the only entry and exit point could be seen by everyone when their child was using the facilities.

"We hold concerns about shared facilities with the grounds in general, as when the pool is open, and children are using the toilet and change rooms, there can also be meeting room bookings, car shows, dog shows, sports events, sports training sessions, any events at all.

"It's not worth the risk. We will therefore not be signing the council's lease whilst these issues remain unresolved."

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Ms Graham said they still hoped to have the pool open as soon as possible, with two solutions proposed by the committee.

The two solutions include the first that the parents room/disabled toilets temporarily become the boys toilet/change room as an immediate solution, as it can be seen from the pool and only has one entry/exit point.

The second was for one side of the pool's facilities, which are boarded up, to undergo a quick renovation to become a parents change room with a shower and toilet. And the other side to be used as storage.

The council spokesperson said it would continue to work with the committee to ensure the safety and well being of all facility users.

Ms Graham said the committee had asked the council questions on the matter to no avail.

"They have not taken on any suggestions, and not kept to a meeting which was to be held," she said.

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