The long-term future of the Ararat Outdoor Olympic Pool has been assured thanks to a $130,000 state government grant to complete the final section of its redevelopment.
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Although the pool will open for the first time in five years on Saturday, the Save the Outdoor Pool Committee has continued to seek funding for a number of uncompleted works.
This includes shade cover, landscaping and a waterslide, which will be built next year, in time for the 2016-17 summer.
Ararat Rural City Council will also contribute a yet to be confirmed figure as part of the grant, while the committee has added another $10,000 of its own cash.
Committee member Ambrose Cashin said the final pieces of the development would make the pool a meeting place for the entire community.
“It will be one of the best facilities outside of metro-Melbourne if not the best,” he said.
“We needed a new pool, a new water play area and changerooms.
“For it to work it had to be a meeting point for people of all ages.”
Mr Cashin said although the pool was yet to see even one full day of operations, the new changerooms and cafe had already drawn large numbers.
“The number of people coming through the gardens has gone through the roof,” he said.
“There were people eating here for tea until 9pm last night.
“We would like to thank the Andrews government for coming to our assistance and ensuring this project is going to be completed to such a high level.”
The outdoor pool will be open for its first day of business on Saturday.
It will be a free-entry day to celebrate an end to the five years of redevelopment.
Council chief executive Andrew Evans said the state government grant showed continued support for Ararat.
“The work they have put in in our area since their election has been fantastic,” he said.
“We have had money for the pool, the performing arts centre – being able to work with them is a really wonderful thing.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development Danielle Green will be at the pool at 11am to officially announce the added government funding.
She will be joined by Ararat Rural City mayor Paul Hooper and Mr Cashin.
The pool was first closed in the 2011-12 summer because of occupational health and safety problems.
Council then voted to demolish the site in 2013 but community opposition saw the Save the Outdoor Pool Committee formed to keep it open.
The committee were handed the keys to the pool in November 2013 and since then has led the effort to completely redevelop the site.
An estimated $4.2 million price tag for the new pool was reduced to $1.2 million thanks donations from the community and in-kind work for Ararat businesses.