Re: "10,700 calling to save pool" (Leader, April 3).
Make that 10,701. With so many people sitting in front of screens all day, a healthy lifestyle is hard to come by, much less adequate forms of recreation in the expanding urban concrete jungle.
And with the climate changing, many are stuck at home in front of air-conditioning avoiding the outdoors altogether.
As a swimmer, I find the pool relaxing and refreshing, especially on days when the beach or weather isn't enticing, or after a stressful day, when a few laps of the pool can change the focus, or when knees, hips and joints are resisting.
Councils such as Sydney City with access to endless funds have provided themselves pools without quibbling about repair, cost or space.
Gladys Berejiklian noted that the billions spent building two stadiums was a drop in the taxpayer funding bucket, which few will see much less use for recreational activity.
Yet pools in greater Sydney have long passed use-by dates, and ratepayers/taxpayers have to resort to begging, while councils consider them for car parks or perhaps residential redevelopment, under pressure from state government policy.
I was also led to believe that council mergers would make these issues redundant.
R Piech, Sans Souci
All councils have a duty to promote healthy lifestyles and to provide vital learn-to-swim classes, regardless of the cost.
If Georges River Council can't secure the future of Carss Park pool through a combination of skyrocketing rates revenue, developer contributions or government grants (as is the case with other projects), residents should question the council about its intentions for this multi-million dollar property.
Peter Mahoney, Oatley