Today I call on the City of Greater Geelong to hold off on building an outdoor pool in the North Bellarine. It will surely become a white elephant for ratepayers, and there is an alternative: an indoor aquatic facility that meets the needs of everyone.

The Geelong council voted to build an outdoor pool on 27 April, but there was little engagement with the community. What I know from the forums and the survey I have given to each household on the Bellarine is that they want an indoor heated pool, with allied health services offering rehab, health and fitness services for the entire community, and where children will learn to swim in a safe and comfortable environment. None of this will be possible with an outdoor pool in the North Bellarine sporting precinct, which is renowned for high winds and, in the Victorian winter, will be freezing and unlikely to be used by the broader community.

Delivering an outdoor pool for stage 1 with a plan to retrofit a roof is a bad, expensive plan. We know spending more money upfront saves money in the long run. Take the neighbouring Surf Coast aquatic centre, where the cheaper option, with fewer co-located services, had an annual operating cost of $806,000, while the best option, with gym and group fitness rooms, only cost $433,000 per year. An indoor aquatic facility will take the pressure off neighbouring facilities and fill a need for Newcomb and Ocean Grove. So please jump online and fill out my North Bellarine aquatic survey.