MidCoast Council is taking advantage of the skills at the Gloucester Olympic Pool to help with other pools in the region.
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It all began with the Gloucester being recognised for its cost effective way of running a public pool.
Council’s supervisor for freshwater pools, John (Tad) Parish, formerly Gloucester Shire Council’s pool and active recreation manager, was tasked with spreading the successful cost-saving ways of Gloucester pool with the other pools in the council region.
One of the major projects has been the refurbishment of facilities at Krambach, Bulahdelah, Tea Gardens, Stroud and Gloucester.
Gloucester staff, Dave Windred and Nick Kenny are fully trained in pool maintenance and have been actively taking care of Gloucester pool in the off season for many years.
These kinds of skills have normally been outsourced to contractors, but by keeping the employment in-house, and spreading the cost of materials by buying in bulk, the other pools have been able to benefit.
“It was a significant saving for Gloucester to have staff who could do the work,” Tad said.
“It also keeps the staff employed during the winter months.”
So, Dave and Kenny have taken their skills on the road and have been travelling over the past few weeks to complete the much needed repairs and repainting of the other pools.
In the last week, they have been taking care of Gloucester’s pool.
It has taken more than 900 metres of masking tape, 240 litres of rubber chlorinated pool paint and the two man working machine just over a week to give Gloucester pool a facelift.
All five pools have been drained, high-pressure cleaned, repaired, prepared, had broken tiles replaced, been taped and painted.
Tad explained that the council merger has allowed the other pools to benefit from Gloucester’s skills and the multiple pools have allowed for the bulk purchase of chemicals.
He said the goal is to try to get all the pools running the same way as a cost saving measure.
“It’s an important step to keep the pools open.”
Once the paint is dry in Gloucester, the olympic pool will be refilled with the roughly 20,000 litres of water collected at the Gloucester Recreation Centre.
Just another one of Gloucester’s cost saving measures.
“All the pools will be up and running in time for the up coming summer season,” Tad assures.
Although, given the high temperatures, he may have to consider getting them open early this year.