The future of the Glenorchy War Memorial Pool site remains uncertain. While Labor and Liberal parties “promised” five million dollars to “repair” the pool, we will have to wait to see whether those promises are “core promises”.

While the management by the Council of the Pool has not been flawless, it is too easy to push all the blame for the current situation – a closed and empty pool – on Council.

A squeaky door gets the most attention they say. One reason that the pool has reached this stage is the lack of an organized body to lobby on its behalf. While the public have used the pool since its construction, fewer and fewer organizations have maintained a continuous connection with the pool. And fewer and fewer people have used the pool.

Sports clubs have a vested interest in the condition of the places they play and practice their sport. They also have an interest in the facilities attached to those places. Cricket clubs their grounds, yacht clubs their launching ramps, rowing clubs their pontoons, BMX clubs their tracks, bowls clubs their greens and facilities, tennis clubs their courts and facilities.

But the pool since the turn of the century has had no significant body lobbying on its behalf. Around that time the Hobart Aquatic Centre became fully operational, the chief swimming coach Chris Wedd at Glenorchy moved to Hobart, took most of his charges with him, and started a new club. The Glenorchy Swimming Club faded away without a strong purpose or strong leadership.

Those who have used the pool since then have enjoyed its availability but don’t appear to have contemplated the possibility that it might stop being available. While individuals may have thought about it, there was no organization to work for the pool.

A lobby group nagging Council or politicians can create friction, create some noise. And if they do that regularly then their facility will not be forgotten.

One good thing that may arise from the current situation is a single organized body. A body which:
• is democratic with leadership elected by its members,
• cares about the pool and its future,
• represents the interests of the individuals and groups using the pool,
• works with Council to develop long term plans for the pool,
• raises funds for improvements to the pool,
• actively promotes the pool as a recreational destination,
• provides volunteers to assist with pool operation e.g. mowing the lawns and keeping the premises clean, etc.

And there must be people in Glenorchy willing to take on leadership roles in that organization. If we depend on Council to create that body and keep it operating, we have failed.

So regardless of what we eventually see on the pool land, the existence of such a body is essential.