By JESSE GRAHAM
A DECISION on the Olinda Pool’s future will be made at next week’s Yarra Ranges Council meeting, with supporters coming out in waves to back the pool.
At the 28 October Yarra Ranges Council meeting, a large group of supporters filled the public gallery of the Council Chambers, holding “Save the Olinda Pool” signs.
They attended in support of John Faull, Faith Everard and Sofia Mikulcic and Tim Moore, all of whom spoke to councillors about the pool in submissions from the public.
Faith, 16, with Sofia,10, said that, as a local teenager, she was “devastated” by the pool’s closure 12 months ago, which was due to extensive cracks and damage to the pool’s shell.
She spoke at length about the benefits the pool offers people in the Olinda area, and about the harms of not having the pool, with over an hour’s travel to the nearest pool in Monbulk – which is indoor and heated.
“It’s a social hub, a place to improve your connections with the community overall,” she said.
“I’ve never been there on a day when I haven’t bumped into someone I know, even if I only know them from the pool itself.”
The pair was applauded by the room of supporters after finishing their speech.
Mr Faull, meanwhile, said the council had refused to continue consultation with him after a meeting, while Mr Moore accused the council of push-polling in its online survey, which he said framed the option of returning the pool negatively compared to other options.
Yarra Ranges Council’s director of Environment and Engineering, Mark Varmalis, said officers had cancelled further consultation after an “uncomfortable” meeting, with a number of people allegedly intimidating the officers.
He said the decision to curtail future consultations was due to Occupational Health and Safety concerns, and that the feedback they sought had been received, but that it was not a personal decision of Mr Faull.
Mr Varmalis also said that he had recently been made aware of the possibility of push-polling by members of staff.
The online survey and official consultation period on the pool closed on 24 October.
The councillors told the gathered supporters that a decision on the pool would be made at its 11 November meeting, with a report being finalised last week.
For the result of next week’s meeting, visit mail.starcommunity.com.au.
