By Jaidyn Kennedy
Wyndham needs more than AquaPulse and the Werribee Outdoor Pool to service its rapidly growing community, according to several politicians in the west.
Currently, Wyndham has one indoor aquatic recreation centre and one outdoor pool to service its more than 324,000 population.
Mayor Mia Shaw council determined it will need to build another aquatic centre to complement AquaPulse at an estimated cost of $120million and AquaPulse itself will require a major renewal project that may be as high as $15m, in order to meet community expectations in the next decade.
According to the Social infrastructure in Melbourne’s growth areas report by Infrastructure Victoria in 2021, Wyndham had one aquatic centre for 48,000 young people, compared to one for every 5000 in the City of Melbourne.
Cr Shsw said the rate-capped environment council operates in is one of the greatest challenges in delivering infrastructure projects to the area.
“Council needs funding from both state and federal governments to fund recreational and aquatic infrastructure,” Cr Shaw said.
“The upcoming federal election presents an opportunity for the council to advocate to the federal government for funding for our second indoor aquatic facility.”
Western Metropolitan MP David Ettershank said a generation of youth are being denied the joy of summer due to a scarcity of aquatic centres in the west.
“I know councils do not have the resources to build new pools, so I am calling on the state government to deliver desperately needed pools and green spaces, and not to leave the west to bake.”
A state government spokesperson said the government has invested $33 million into building and upgrading sport and recreation facilities for the Wyndham community since 2014.
Councils and community groups are encouraged to put forward proposals for new infrastructure and facilities through programs like the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund, which is currently open for applications, the spokesperson said.
Lalor MP Joanne Ryan said the previous federal Labor government made a $9 million contribution to the AquaPulse and that she campaigned with other locals to save the Werribee swimming pool.
“Councils are invited regularly to submit for Commonwealth grant processes and I am always pleased to support them,” she said.
