THE 50-metre pool at Bathurst Aquatic Centre will remain open for an extra four weeks from 2019 at a cost of almost $20,000 a year.
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The aquatic centre has been open for almost 10 years and in that time the 50-metre has been made available to the public from the start of October to the end of March.
Indoor facilities at the centre remain open year-round.
However, an unusually warm autumn this year prompted calls for the 50-metre pool to be kept open for a longer swimming season.
Councillor John Fry called for a report to councillors which examined the costs associated with the plan.
The report by engineering services director Darren Sturgiss found a four-week season extension would cost council additional $57,268 over the next three years until the end of the current pool management contract.
That money will pay for increased electricity and gas costs that were not included in the original contract with the pool managers.
“During discussions with the pool patrons who wish to have the season extended, it was discussed that council could investigate keeping the outdoor pool operational on a week by week basis from next season, depending upon whether the autumn temperatures start to be experienced earlier or later,” Mr Sturgiss states in his report.
“Council’s pool management contractor has advised that it would be hard to implement pool extensions on a week by week basis as staff programming, ordering of required quantity of chemicals and other operational requirements would generally need to be determined well in advance.”
Council is expected to push for greater flexibility in its next management contract with regards to the 50-metre pool season.