The Save the Outdoor Pool Action Group is calling on the Bairnsdale community to show its support for the town’s outdoor pool at a public rally to be held at the Rotunda in Main Street, Bairnsdale, on Saturday, November 29, at 10am.
Speakers at the rally will include Cr Bernie Farquhar and other leading community members. Cr Farquhar, who learned to swim at the Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool and was once a member of the Bairnsdale Swimming Club, as a local citizen has expressed strong support for restoring the facility to its former condition, similar to the successful upgrades of outdoor pools in Yarram and Sale.
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The campaign aims to reopen the Bairnsdale Outdoor Pool for family and community use. The group believes the project is achievable with
sufficient public support and notes the current indoor pool is overcrowded and unable to meet local demand, forcing some families to travel to Sale and Lakes Entrance for lessons.
Petitioners will be collecting signatures at the rally, which will later be presented to the East Gippsland Shire Council and the State Government, urging refurbishment and reopening of the outdoor pool by Christmas.
The action group, which includes local professionals and volunteers, will be distributing flyers, posting signs at homes and businesses, and using social media to promote awareness. Community members are being encouraged to register their support online, sign petitions when available, and attend the rally.
Residents who wish to display a Save the Outdoor Pool sign at their property can register their interest at the Bairnsdale Advertiser office.
The group’s objectives is to complete essential repairs as soon as possible, open the pool for the Christmas swimming season, and plan for a long-term refurbishment in line with other regional towns that have successfully restored their town’s outdoor pools.
In addition to community campaigning, the group is also seeking independent estimates for the cost of works required to keep the outdoor pool open, reinforcing its commitment to practical and achievable outcomes for Bairnsdale.
