Save our pools: Guildford Pool user Dianne Ellis, swimming instructor Robyn Smith with her son Dale Edginton, 15, who is a member of the McCredie Park Aquatics swimming club, based at the pool. Picture: Gene Ramirez
IF asked to choose between closing the area's pools and paying more rates, Dianne Ellis fears many of her fellow Holroyd residents would choose the former.
"Some people might think, well I don't know how much more they'll start charging me and I don't want to pay more rates," Ms Ellis, of South Wentworthville said.
Ms Ellis, who swims laps at all three pools for exercise, said at the moment she was going to Guildford because it was the only one still open, while the others had been closed for the winter.
"The community needs these pools, they are very well used and residents should have that service available to them," she said.
Locals received a letter last week asking them which they support: repairing the area's existing pools at Merrylands, Guildford and Wentworthville, building a new super pool or there not being any pools in the Holroyd Council area at all.
Residents have until tomorrow, April 27, to fill out and return their ballot to the council.
The letter said it would cost approximately $8 million over the next two years to repair the existing centres and a further $30 million over the next 10 to 15 years to reconstruct them in order to bring them up to the standards required by the state government.
The second option listed was closing the three swim centres and building a leisure and aquatic centre similar to the one at Stanhope Gardens, which would cost $25 to $30 million to build, $500,000 per annum to maintain and would include a fitness centre, sauna, aerobics classes and a hydro-therapy pool.
Holroyd councillors previously debated building the super pool at a site on Hyland Road, Greystanes, but the letter sent out did not list a specific location for the pool and did not state by how much rates would increase.
Robyn Smith, a swimming instructor with ABC Swimming, said it saddened her that Guildford pool might be closed.
"It caters to so many different kinds of people; the elderly for rehabilitation, young children learning to swim, competition swimmers and many others," Ms Smith said.
"Recently I was involved with a learn to swim program for Lebanese women who recently arrived in Australia."
Holroyd mayor Yvette Whitfield said her daughters had learned to swim at Wentworthville pool so she had a soft spot for the centre.
"But we've got to ask the community what they think," Cr Whitfield said.
"All three options cost a lot of money and it has to come out of their rates, so we've got to know what they would like."
She said she didn't think people would prefer the option of closing the pools, but that had to be offered to them in the spirit of fairness.