Calls for council to step in and help Maleny Pool
FRUSTRATIONS are boiling over at a funding and regulatory impasse that will see Maleny residents once again suffer through a summer without a local pool.
Soaring operational, insurance and energy costs, coupled with increased safety regulations are proving insurmountable obstacles, with the pool recently announcing it would be forced to close once again.
While the pool had opened again for the 2022/23 season, it had previously been forced to stay closed due to the inability to find a manager. Like its Mooloolah counterpart, Maleny pool is an Education Queensland-owned facility and has historically been leased to pool managers through the volunteer-run P&Cs.
Member for Glass House, Andrew Powell, said with increasing regulatory requirements, it was now time for council to step up and support the community.
“I am beyond frustrated as myself and Education Queensland have bent over backwards to suggest a way forward,” Mr Powell said. “Maleny community have to travel to Beerwah or Palmwoods to access a public pool which is just not acceptable.
“Our schools and P&C’s should be here to educate and support our kids rather than provide pool facilities for the broader community.”
He said under the current lease arrangement Sunshine Coast Council supported public use of the facility through a grants allowance which had limitations due to the facility not being owned or leased by Council.
Mr Powell said a potential solution was to offer the state owned asset to Council for a ‘peppercorn lease’ which would enable Council to take over the day to day management of the pool and operating costs- however to date Council has rejected the suggestion.
Division 5 Councillor Winston Johnston acknowledged the situation at Maleny Pool had worsened over the last 12 months with substantial cost increases impacting viability.
He said he had only been made aware in the last few months of the operating issues and would be taking it up with the Mayor, CEO and recreational facilities teams to see how Council could assist.
“If council can come to the party it will be in the next financial year,” Mr Johnston said.
“We were made aware of these current issues after this year’s financial budget had been approved, but we are looking to discuss options on how we assist to open the facility to the public.”
A council spokesperson refused to be drawn into comment on whether Council had been approached to lease the Maleny Pool facilities, saying only the Maleny and Mooloolah State School pools were owned by the State Government, which was responsible for maintaining and managing the facilities.
“Council is assisting the Department of Education by providing contacts for private operators, who may be able to assist in managing the facilities outside of school hours for community use,” the spokesperson said.