July 23 marks 12 months since Georges River Council announced it was permanently closing Kogarah War Memorial Pool (KWMP) at Carss Park.
At the time, Mayor Kevin Greene said the council had a moral obligation to close the pool when it started leaking chlorinated water directly into the ground water through a significant structural crack in the pool itself.
The EAP raised their concerns with Council about the environmental impact on the Georges River and this led to the pool's immediate closure.
Residents had collected more than 10,000 signatures to keep the pool open which they presented to Georges River Council just four months before.
And Prime Minister Scott Morrison committed $5 million towards the pool upgrade, during the recent Federal election campaign.
The pool had been closed for winter maintenance, however following a direction from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in relation to urgent environmental concerns, the council has taken immediate action to close the pool to prevent further pollution into the Georges River.
Following this the council remained committed to having three aquatic centres in the local government area.
On May 25 this year, Georges River Council voted to demolish the old Kogarah War Memorial Pool at Carss Park and support an investigation into the suitability of Todd Park, Blakehurst for the site of a future regional aquatic centre.
A study by consultants Otium Planning Group had applied 14 sustainable assessment criteria to four possible locations for a regional aquatic centre with the LGA - the Sans Souci Leisure Centre, Todd Park, Carrs Bush Park and Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Todd Park was identified as the highest-ranking site, according to a council report.
This month, a new major community action group was formed as the result of residents' anger over the council's decision to demolish Carss Park Pool and to investigate the suitability of Todd Park for the site of a regional aquatic centre on Todd Park.
Save Carss Park Pool Group and the Protect and Preserve Todd Park Association joined forces as the 'Friends of Todd Park and Carss Park Pool'.
The new group is circulating a pledge in support of the rebuilding of the 50-metre Carss Park Pool on its existing site, and the preservation of the parklands and playing fields at Todd Park.
Olympic Gold Medallist Michelle Ford, who trained at Carss Park Pool, was the first to sign the pledge.
Speaking on the first anniversary of the pool's closure, Natalie Mort from the Rebuild Carss Park Pool Action Group said supporters of Carss Park Pool believe Georges River Council could have done more to meet their obligations of Council resolution NM023-19 from 25 March 2019 to subsidise the ongoing operational costs of KWMP until the future of the pool has been determined.
"KWMP could have remained operational if Georges River Council had applied for a licence under Section 122 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act to permit chlorinated water to enter Kogarah Bay," Ms Mort said.
"This should have been the normal course of action from Council.'
"Following the resolution for Council to subsidise the ongoing operational costs of KWMP for 12
months, supporters of Carss Park Pool believe the permanent closure was premeditated.
"The amalgamation of Councils was supposed to deliver better services and infrastructure and consolidated administration.
"Instead for 12 months, the community has been short-changed without a third aquatic centre, and this has coincided with Sans Souci Leisure Centre outdoor pool being closed twice this year due to pump related issues.
"Likewise Hurstville Aquatic Centre indoor 25m pool remains closed for reasons unexplained, despite government Covid-19 restrictions allowing them to reopen on June 13.
"The impact of these closures on people's physical and mental health can not be measured. I have friends who were using these pools for physical rehabilitation from injuries and to maintain good mental health.
"On top of this people are missing out on the daily connections they had with friends," Ms Mort said.
"12 months down the track since the closure of Carss Park Pool and we've gotten absolutely nowhere towards a new aquatic centre except a vote to immediately demolish the pool with no clear plan, other than to spend $200,000 on investigating another site.
"What is Georges River Council doing to support the physical and mental wellbeing of its ratepayers, except tell us in 6 years time we might have an aquatic facility somewhere?"
The Pledge in support of rebuilding Carss Park Pool is at:
