By Dominique Tassell
Council pools will receive new funding for lifeguards after Southern Downs Regional Council approved a new budget allocation of $150,000 at the recent Ordinary Council Meeting.
Council has three public pools in addition to the Warwick Indoor Recreation and Aquatic Facility (WIRAC). These pools are operated under Management Agreements with third parties with an agreed undertaking to operate these pools within the Guidelines for Safe Pool Operations (“GSPO”) as set by the Royal Life Saving Society. The GSPO is the recognised national industry standard that describes the minimum standards of safety that should be attached to the operation of aquatic facilities.
Historically, the GSPO contained a practice referred to as “low patronage” which allowed some flexibility with supervision on the pool deck for facilities that did not have large numbers of patrons.
The agenda item stated that in effect, the lifeguard on duty could duck away from the pool deck to quickly serve a patron at the canteen without an issue.
The annual rates paid to Council pool contractors as per the respective Management Agreements are as follows:
Allora Pool – $57,000 pa with a 5 per cent increase per year (commencement date: 1 October 2018)
Killarney Pool – $45,000 pa with a 5 per cent increase per year (commencement date: 1 October 2020)
Stanthorpe Pool – $50,000 pa with a 5 per cent increase per year (commencement date: 1 October 2018)
All of these contractors have been operating these facilities for Council for many years.
The agenda item outlined that engaging a lifeguard will cost $31 per hour for weekdays and $36 per hour on weekends and the additional total wage costs across all three pools are estimated at circa $147,156, broken down into an additional $62,140 for Stanthorpe, $35,412 for Killarney, and $49,604 for Allora.
On top of that, Stanthorpe Pool has requested $500 for training a lifeguard, Killarney Pool has requested 10 per cent superannuation and an hour per week pay for an officer for 26 weeks, and Allora Pool has requested training expenses for four lifeguards plus administration time.
All three operators have advised that while they are keen to continue running these facilities they are unable to absorb this additional cost, and as such, if they are forced to absorb this cost, they would simply walk away from the pools.
Cr Stephen Tancred inquired in the meeting about data for the pools.
Staff stated that they don’t currently have a full understanding of what comes through the gate and that the proposed changes will allow the Council to get better reporting.
They said this will help with contract renewals, as they will be able to better structure them.
fees and charges have just been adjusted, any additional adjustment on top of this so the community can “still enjoy these facilities that are provided for their benefit”
Cr Tancred spoke to the motion, stating there are three parties involved in the local pools.
“People who use the people, locals who don’t, and commercial operators of the pool.”
He said “of course” pools are valuable to the community and fees shouldn’t be increased too much so people aren’t dissuaded from using the facilities, but rises are necessary.
Councillors successfully passed a motion to approve a further budget allocation of $150,000 across the three externally operated Council outdoor pools,
The 2022/23 fees and charges will also be amended to accommodate this.
Council delegated authority to the CEO to negotiate and enter into contract variations with the operators around the management agreements, to allow Council to collect the additional revenue from the operators to offset the cost of providing additional budget to employ an additional lifeguard.
The motion was moved by Cr Andrew Gale and seconded by Cr Tancred.
