Foster Pool Needs You!

Added 19 Sep 2017 | Added by: The Mirror | Last updated 16 Feb 2018 by Linda Giddy ⋅ Post a comment

SOUTH Gippsland Shire wants feedback from the Foster community by Monday October 2 so they can develop a Master Plan for the Foster Pool.

Pool President, Ian Lyon, said that there was meant to be a Master Plan done 3 years ago but that it was put in abeyance while the Shire decided the pool’s fate.

“The council has lots of different assets and like all assets if the pool is not utilised it will be reviewed,” said Mayor Ray Argento.

Now that it is staying open Ian is encouraging everyone who has an interest in the pool to fill out the survey.

“The community was emphatic that the pool remain open so they now need to fill out the survey and make their voices heard again,” he said.

The Shire says it would be great to hear from young people, as it will help them update their future priorities for the pool.

The student leaders at Foster Secondary College held a meeting on Friday September 15 to discuss ideas to increase the use of and the future of Foster Pool.

It forms an important part of the school curriculum and the development of young children so why not ask those students what can be done?

“They want to see more community events, deck chairs and a greater emphasis on events in general” said SRC member Ruby Mattingley.

“Our staff use the pool regularly for PE classes during the summer months, visiting the pool daily with Year 7-9 students implementing the schools swimming program.”

PE teacher Cal Sherriff said the Pool program at school in Term 1 is vitally important for the school in meeting government set curriculum.

“The Foster pool helps us prepare our students for a number of community activities.

“Our students need to fulfil a swimming requirement before we can take them out in surf,” said Year 9 and Community Program Leader Daryl Callcott.

Assistant Principal Dean Duursma said that without the Foster pool the school would have to bus students to Toora.

“Some families cannot afford that,” he said. “We live so close to the ocean but some kids don’t know how to swim. It is very important to us that all kids know how to swim.”

Foster Primary School also took part in a session organised by the Council on Friday.

A consultant from Otium Planning Group, Robyn Bowen, met with students to find out their thoughts.

They were asked what’s great about the pool, what don’t they like, and what new things they would like to see there.

What they really want is a water slide and the consultant for the Shire said the Council liked listening to the children and will do all they can to help.

They also want an improved canteen, heating of the pool, a non-slip floor in the change room and an extended season.

Both schools said they would like to keep swimming at the Foster Pool and they encourage anyone interested in keeping the pool open and improving the facilities to fill out the survey.

Surveys can be completed on line at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/FosterOutdoorPool

Copies of the survey are also available from: