It’s old, leaking and falling apart. Yet, this humble pool could help determine who governs Victoria

I n its day, the Wonthaggi pool was ahead of its time. When it opened in 1980, there were few indoor pools in regional Victoria.

But the pool’s heyday ended long ago. The 25-metre pool, about 140 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, is primitive by modern standards.

The separate children’s pool is a cramped and brutalist concrete square. Last week, the heat pump failed, forcing the cancellation of popular classes such as water aerobics.

Bass Coast Shire mayor, Brett Tessari said without a major upgrade the pool faced certain closure.

“We’ve got bits of material falling off the walls all the time,” he said. “It’s the only pool we have. So when this does finally die, our community has no pool.”

From Port Fairy in the state’s south-west, to Bendigo and Bairnsdale, regional communities have long fought to save their pools when they fall into disrepair.

Now, the Bass Coast Shire is hoping to leverage Wonthaggi’s location in one of the state’s most marginal state seats, Bass, to secure funding pledges before the November state election.

In the 2022 state election, Labor won Bass by just over 200 votes on a two-party-preferred basis. Pool advocates want the upgrade to become a local election issue.

“We have been advocating to all sides of the political spectrum, asking for an election promise,” Tessari said.

The council has committed $15 million to the upgrade, but wants $15 million each from the state and federal governments.

Tessari said the council was told about 11 years ago that the pool had a 10-year lifespan.

“It’s evaporating, losing water at an incredible rate. So, it’s costing a fortune to keep the doors open.”

Despite the pool’s dilapidated state, it remains immensely popular. Figures supplied by the pool’s management show the facility had 15,000 visits a month and about 610 members. It provides lessons for about 380 students a week.

The council wants to widen the existing 25-metre pool and build a spa, sauna, cafe and new changing rooms. It also wants a new children’s pool and another heated pool geared towards older swimmers.