Kestrel Bay's harbour baths will stay free this summer after councillors voted 5–4 on Monday night against an entry fee, following three hours of public comment in a packed chamber.
The proposal would have charged adults $4 a swim from December to cover lifeguards and a new filtration pump, estimated at $180,000 a year1. Children and concession card holders would have swum free.
We heard from more than sixty people tonight, and almost all of them asked us not to do this.Mayor Diane Okoro
What happens next
Council staff will report back in March with other ways to fund the pump, including a state grant the council applied for in August. Councillor Ben Hart, who moved the fee, said he would bring it back if the grant falls through.
The baths open for the season on Saturday 7 November. Lifeguards are on duty from 7am to 7pm.
Have your sayThe council's report on pool funding is open for comment until 30 November at kestrelbay.example/have-your-say [placeholder].