Proposed aquatic centre for Denmark back in the spotlight with council to vote on holding special meeting

A decades-long call for Denmark to have its own aquatic facility is being renewed, with the council to consider conducting a poll to gauge the community’s appetite for a pool. Cr Jan Lewis thrust the project back into the spotlight by requesting the Shire of Denmark council hold a special meeting on August 12 to discuss the shelved idea. The proposed August meeting would include discussion on financial modelling for the facility, updated concept plans, and ask councillors to formulate a draft poll question to gauge the community’s appetite for the pool and potential rate rise required to fund it. The indoor heated facility, which was earmarked to be built at McLean Park Recreation Centre, would include a 25m lap pool and a programmable hydrotherapy/baby learn-to-swim pool. Denmark swimmers not keen on the ocean are currently forced to travel more than 50km to the nearest public swimming pool, located at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre. Similar referendums held in 2008 and 2013 revealed that ratepayers did want a pool, but were not prepared to pay higher rates to construct it. The 2013 poll — the results of which were controversial due to its convoluted wording and omission of non-rate-paying residents —revealed that 58 per cent of voters said they did not want to pay higher rates for the pool, while 42 per cent did. Denmark Aquatic Centre Committee Inc. president Dr Cyril Edwards, who has been campaigning for the pool for almost 20 years, said a third consultation was required due to population changes over the last 15 years. ”The demographics here have changed significantly since we considered it the last time as there are lots of young people now with children,” he said. “Funnily, lots of feedback we’ve been getting about the council meeting is ‘why are you having it at 4pm on a Tuesday? We’re driving our kids to Albany for swimming lessons then’. “Swimming is one of the most popular recreational and sporting activities for both children and middle-aged people and in our shire, with our beaches, which are beautiful but can be quite dangerous, there is an essential need to know how to swim. “It’s a no-brainer and enormously needed.” The poll would be conducted alongside the local government election on October 18. Denmark council will vote on whether to hold the special meeting at its ordinary meeting on Tuesday, July 29.