Surprise announcement as lifeguards sought for planned November 1 start to town’s first summer swim season

Shire CEO Suzie Haslehurst addresses a community meeting at Toodyay’s new recreation centre to announce that the town’s new swimming pool will be heated and open all year.
By Michael Sinclair-Jones
TOODYAY’S long-awaited public swimming pool will be heated in winter to enable it to stay open all year under surprise new plans announced this month by recently appointed venue manager Clublinks.
The company says it aims for swimmers to start using the pool on or before Sunday November 1 if construction finishes in time.
Lighting towers from China have been installed and site work is largely complete.
However, the company has issued a “priority” call for people to apply for jobs as lifeguards to enable the pool to open on a full schedule seven days a week as planned.
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Clublinks State Manager Matt Day told a public meeting of about 50 people at the Shire of Toodyay’s new $14 million recreation centre that the pool was built with heating pipes already installed.
He said later that it may cost less than $10,000 annually to keep the new 25m pool heated to about 27C.
His company would absorb the extra $150,000 to $200,000 cost of installing new equipment to keep the pool warm during Toodyay’s chilly winter months.
“We don’t want local people driving past this pool to swim in Northam because ours is not heated,” Mr Day told the meeting.
“We’d like it heated by April next year, but the worst-case scenario is by June 2021.
Mr Day said a mix of solar panels and mains power would be used for year-round water heating.
“We’ve already got quotes and are preparing a detailed business case to put to the shire,” he said.
“Running costs won’t be massive – possibly under $10,000 a year – we are still investigating the detail.”
Opening hours planned from November 1 to March 31 are 7am to 6.30pm on weekdays and 8am to 6pm weekends.
April and October next year will be 7am to 10am and 3pm to 6pm on weekdays, and 9am to 3pm on weekends.
Winter hours will be announced when heating is added.
Proposed entry fees are $5 for adults and $4 for children and concession card holders, including pensioners and seniors.
A full season pass will cost $90 for adults and $80 for children.
Tennis court hire will cost $30 an hour.
Mr Day said the new facility would give priority to employing local residents.
The workforce would consist of five or six full-time employees and four or five casuals.
“Our main priority at the moment is to recruit more lifeguards so that we can keep the pool open for the planned hours.
“We also need casual customer service staff and sports umpires for night-time basketball and other competitions, mainly starting after Christmas.”
The company has started a new Toodyay Recreation Centre Facebook page which says training is free for casual shifts starting next month.
Working as a lifeguard requires a current police check, working with children check, first aid qualifications and current aquatic lifeguard qualifications or an interest to be trained in this field
Anyone interested should email their resume and a brief introductory letter venue manager Beck Foulkes-Taylor at bfoulkes-taylor@toodyayreccentre.com.au
Toodyay Shire CEO Suzie Haslehurst said the Toodyay Recreation Centre – including the pool – would be officially opened at with civic ceremony on Saturday November 21.