It was D-Day for Hay’s proposed hydrotherapy pool last Tuesday, the culmination of a 30-year effort by the Hay community.

The pendulum was swinging between the need for a heated pool and Council’s deliberation on replacing the ageing John Houston Memorial Swimming Pool.

With a majority vote in favour of replacing the main pool, councillors were quick to also give the hydrotherapy pool the nod, to be located within the swimming pool complex.

The facility will be constructed in line with the swimming pool replacement, expected to start next summer.

General Manager, David Webb said Council had reached a point where it needed to determine whether to go ahead with the hydrotherapy pool, as a joint tender with the swimming pool was the best economically.

“Given the proposed location of the facility, construction cannot commence until demolition works of the old pool has been undertaken,” Mr Webb said.

A Section 355 committee of Council will manage the facility, with volunteers assisting.

Royal Life Saving has confirmed the pool could be managed with users provided they are suitably qualified, rather than a dedicated lifeguard.

The pool would cater for mental therapy, physical therapy, aerobic groups, sporting groups, pregnant women and the elderly. It will operate at 30 to 36 degrees Celsius inside a purpose-built shed structure with amenities.

Mr Webb said staff still maintain concern at the viability of the facility in the medium to long-term, and the impost it will have on Council resources and finances.

Hay Heated Pool committee president, Sandy Symons attended the meeting and assured Council he was confident the committee would not fail in its ongoing fundraising efforts.

Mr Symons said over the last three years, the committee raised $800,000 in grants, donations and fundraising efforts.

“Everyone knows the history of the $320,000 raised by previous committees and the extraordinary effort it took to achieve that goal,” he said.

“Our committee views the Hay Hydrotherapy Pool as an asset for Hay and its ageing population and not a liability.

“We have the money to build it. We have the overwhelming endorsement from the Hay community to build it, as shown in a survey conducted.

“And we have an active committee to oversee and run fundraising events into the future.

“This opportunity will not pass our way again.

“The hydrotherapy pool is needed, and is sustainable sustainable. So are the government grants and Bendigo Community Bank contributions.

“Nothing of significance has ever been achieved through the fear of failure and I have every confidence in our committee, in conjunctions with Council, that this project will not fail.”

This article appeared in  The Riverine Grazier, 5 June 2024.