Hepburn Shire pool season starts this weekend

Published on 02 December 2021

Council is gearing up its aquatic facilities for the community to make a splash this summer, with outdoor pools in Hepburn Shire set to open on Saturday 4 December.

Council will again offer free entry to Shire pools.

The pool season will be a little different this year due to COVID-19 requirements and a sector-wide shortage of aquatics staff which will initially reduce pool operating hours.

“We would love for more people to put up their hand and apply for a job with our Aquatics Team so we can extend the hours of operation of our local pools,” said Bradley Thomas, Council Chief Executive Officer.

“We understand that staffing is also an issue for other pools this year, so we’re really keen to have more people join our team to give our community the best opportunity to cool off over summer.

“While lifeguards need to have certain qualifications, there are customer-facing roles such as Community Pool Assistants, where you interact and connect with patrons, without the need for pool qualifications.

“I encourage anyone who is interested in taking on one of these important roles to visit our Council website and apply now.

“We are aiming to make the opening hours suitable for family and recreation use and will keep on reviewing and assessing the hours throughout the pool season. We will extend these hours where we can,” he said.

Under the Victorian Government’s Roadmap, all pool patrons aged 12 years and over must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Patrons will be able to show this on a smart phone, the Service Victoria app, a printed immunisation history statement or eligible proof of vaccination exemption.

Pool opening hours are:

• Saturday and Sunday - 2pm to 6pm

• Monday to Friday (during school term) - 3pm to 7pm

• School holidays and public holidays - 2pm to 6pm

• Closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

• Creswick Splash Park operates between 9am and 8pm every day.

Council operates a weather policy at the pools. This means Trentham and Daylesford pools open on days predicted to be 21+ degrees based on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predictions for Ballarat. Clunes Pool opens on days predicted to be 21+ degrees based on BOM predictions for Bendigo.

Changes to the planned hours will be advertised on Council’s Facebook page.

Find out more on public pools and job opportunities at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au.

The pool season extends until Monday 14 March 2021.