Mitchell Shire Council reports 21% decline in attendance at seasonal pools

The Mitchell Shire Council is blaming weather conditions for lower summer attendance figures at its three seasonal outdoor pools.

The Council's three outdoor pools - the Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool, the Tallarook Outdoor Pool and the Broadford Outdoor Pool - recorded a total attendance for the 2016/17 outdoor pool season of just was 11,907, a decline of almost 3,000 fewer visits (21%) than the previous summer season.

The outdoor pool season ran from 5th December 2016 to 13th March 2017.

The Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool was the most highly attended facility, with 6,469 people passing through the gates, while Broadford had 3,168 attendances and Tallarook had 2,270. 

The Riverine Herald has reported that this year, Mitchell Shire changed the weather trigger for opening the outdoor pools as a cost-saving measure, meaning the pools only opened if the weather forecast was 26°C or above. December, in particular, was much cooler than previous years — only six days in December was the temperature above 30°C, compared to 18 for the same month the previous season. 

That meant the pools only opened on 70 days for the summer, compared to 85 in 2015/16. 

Commenting on the decline in usage, Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson "I would like to thank all those who visited the pools this summer, as well as the Friends of Tallarook Pool, Mitchell Youth Services, Mitchell Leisure Services and many of our local schools and swim clubs who ran additional successful events or programs this season. 

"I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool Reference Group, which was formed this season to look at ways of increasing usage of the Seymour pool. 

"This group was a major success and their ideas have been fed into a master plan for the pool that is currently being developed."

Located 90 kilometres north of Melbourne, the Mitchell Shire Council's declining seasonal pool attendances are part of trend being faced across regional Australia.

The pools will open on 2nd December for the 2017/18 season.

Image: The Seymour War Memorial Outdoor Pool.

9th June 2016 - ARV RELEASES GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING OUTDOOR SEASONAL POOLS 

27th April 2016 - CAMPASPE SHIRE COUNCIL FACES TOUGH DECISION ON FUTURE OF ITS SWIMMING POOLS

4th May 2015 - OUTDOOR SEASONAL POOLS UNDER ONGOING THREATS

5th March 2015 - CERM PI RELEASE LATEST OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT BENCHMARKS FOR AQUATIC, RECREATION AND SPORT CENTRES 

11th December 2013 - PEOPLE POWER’ KEEPS NEWCASTLE POOLS OPEN

23rd October 2013 - COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN FIGHTS TO REOPEN ARARAT OLYMPIC OUTDOOR POOL

4th September 2013 - MITCHELL SHIRE COUNCIL SWIMMING POOLS REPORT ‘STRONGEST SEASON IN YEARS’