General News
9 July, 2026
Riordan slams Mumblin approval
THE adoption of a new strategy surrounding Moyne Shire’s swimming pools has secured the future of the Mortlake Swimming Pool, but the proposal of a feasibility study to explore a new indoor pool for the shire has divided council.
Councillors adopted the Aquatic Facilities Strategy 2026–2036 at the recent Ordinary Meeting of Council, which sets out the future planning, management and investment of Moyne’s aquatic facilities.
The engagement process for the completion of the strategy saw 745 survey responses and included eight community sessions attended by more than 200 people.
Shire-wide responses showed 95 per cent of residents consider aquatic facilities to be important.
The report noted the future of the Mortlake Swimming Pool is safe despite running at significant cost, in part due to the asset being the shire’s only 50 metre pool.
The strategy noted an annual operation expense of $176,999 – at a cost of $51.54 per visit, the highest cost-per-visitor expense in the shire.
The cost is in part due to age of the pool, which will require “considerable remediation” on the pool plant and ongoing site inspections on the pool shell to ensure the absence of pool leaks and ongoing suitability of use.
The toddler pool is also not currently operating and is considered in poor-to-average condition.
While the cost is significantly above the industry benchmark for subsidy per visit ($6.70) the value assessment of the asset was listed as moderate-high due to the facility being the shire’s only 50 metre pool.
Revenue at the pool has reached a plateau around $25,000 in the past two seasons while costs have increased.
A total of $497,000 capital expense was identified over 10 years covering filter media, chlorinator upgrade and pool shell resurfacing.
Continued operation of the Mortlake Swimming Pool was recommended in the strategy, with a focus on growth income as the pool is not considered a candidate for closure – citing the higher costs reflecting the 50-metre format and professional management as opposed to poor performance, and northern parts of the shire have no nearby alternative.
Councillor Lloyd Ross sought clarity on if a specific dollar figure was tied to the 10-year planning, including investment and running costs of all shire pools.
Director infrastructure Liam Arnott said the strategy noted $7.7 million which council will need to spend over the next 10 years, combined with operating costs and renewal demand.
This includes $1.32 million required for the renewal of the shire’s outdoor pools, including Mortlake, over a 10-year period in annual requirements.
Councillor Karen Foster proposed an alternative motion to include $80,000 in the 2026-2027 Budget to commission a feasibility study and business case for a new indoor aquatic facility in the shire.
She moved the motion, saying she supports the strategy as it provides the “clear, evidence-based roadmap” for the future of Moyne’s pools while pushing for the feasibility study to ensure the strategy was more than a document sitting in an office.
“Strategies only have value if they move from paper into practice, and by funding the initial priority actions now we’re demonstrating this is not just another report that’s going to sit on a shelf gathering dust somewhere,” she said.
“This is a genuine commitment to improving aquatic services, just as a significant percentage of our community has asked us to do.
“One of the great outcomes of this strategy is we’ve got a clear sense of what it’s going to cost to repair and maintain our facilities in a far more proactive manner.”
Councillor Lloyd Ross spoke against the alternate motion, saying council had only just spoken about how tight the Budget was but was now spending it.
“I know I’m going to get rolled over it, but it’s just a lot of money in that strategy right through with all the pools,” he said.
“If it does pass, it’s the death of all the smaller pools because you’ll have your big fancy asset in Port Fairy and the money will have to go down there to support that asset.”
Councillor Susan Taylor also spoke against the motion, stating she was reluctant to rely on conclusions from the strategy while she believed the data was inconsistent with previous information which council had received.
She also cited the recent closure of Belfast Aquatics in Port Fairy as its own living feasibility study into the costs of indoor pools.
“It provides real world information about patronage, costs, governance challenges, maintenance and financial sustainability of an indoor pool – whether its in Port Fairy or the wider Moyne Shire,” Cr Taylor said.
“Before committing ourselves to a long-term strategic objective, I believe council should fully analyse the lessons from that experience.
“In my view that is likely to provide more reliable evidence than commissioning another feasibility study.”
Cr Lockett it was “frustrating” for councillors to oppose the alternative when it sought to explore the possibility of an asset the majority of shire residents had indicated was something they wanted.
“We have clearly heard from our community, we’ve had an overwhelming amount of responses to the aquatic strategy, and we see and hear how much these people want these facilities,” he said.
“I think it’s extremely important we act on the feasibility study to see if we can afford to look at funding avenues to go down about if there is an indoor pool, but also to see how we can support the ones we still have.”
Councillor Lisa Ryan, as seconder of the alternative motion, said it was time to act on what the community wants.
“The draft officer recommendation asked us to note and receive the aquatic strategy – in practice, if the original recommendation were to be moved, this strategy joins a queue and means the community that gave up their time to participate in consultation and advocacy wait yet again to see if council will act,” she said.
“We have an entire community that has done everything right – they engaged, they participated and they used their voices.
“The amended motion simply asks that we meet that effort with a monetary commitment which aligns with strategy recommendations.
“We’re not committing to anything besides gaining a further understanding – our community deserves that.”
The alternative motion was passed 4-3, with councillors Lloyd Ross, Jim Doukas and Susan Taylor voting again.
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