AS April’s hot days keep coming, one councillor has called for the outdoor pool at Bathurst Aquatic Centre to stay open for longer.
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The 50 metre outdoor pool was closed for winter on March 25, with patrons only able to use the indoor pool until October.
However, this month Bathurst’s average maximum daytime temperature hasn’t dipped below a warm 28 degrees.
The average maximum temperature is currently 29.9 degrees, 9.2 degrees above the long-term average for Bathurst in April.
Councillor John Fry said regular lap swimmers want to have access to the outdoor pool again and the temperatures do warrant keeping it open longer.
“I’ve had various users approach me and say they would like it to be open a little bit longer because it means they have to use the indoor pool, which is more crowded,” he said.
“With climate change, the days are still hot into April and they are hotter than usual.”
Cr Fry said it is a good time for Bathurst Regional Council to look into renewable and more cost-effective ways to heat the outdoor pool, which may keep it open for around two months longer each year.
“I’m hoping the council will look at ways of heating the pool with solar pipes,” he said.
He believes that similar technology used in Europe to help melt ice on freeways in winter could be utilised in a pool scenario.
“In winter you could possibly pump water through black pipes and use that to heat the pool,” he said.
The idea would have to be heavily investigated by council first, Cr Fry said, but in the meantime it could open and close the pool “as the weather dictates”.
Bathurst Aquatic Centre manager Oliver Barclay said usage at the pool hasn’t changed much since the outdoor pool closed, but he is happy to work with council to make the facility better for patrons.
“For us, we’re happy to assist council in meeting the needs of the community,” he said.
Mr Barclay also said he is happy to discuss with council environmentally friendly ways to reduce running costs at the facility.