Council to consider purchasing lap pool for public use

INFRASTRUCTURE

Victoria Stone-Meadows

Last updated: 18/02/2019, 19:00:00 (AEST)

MAYBE: Douglas Shire Mayor says Council will look at the possibility of buying the Oaks Lap Pool but says it may be too expensive. Image: Newsport.

More than 100 people have signed a petition calling on Douglas Shire Council to buy the Oaks Resort lap pool and convert it to a public asset.

The online petition was started by a Port Douglas business owner last week and implores Douglas Shire Mayor, Julia Leu, to consider the purchase of the property.

The mayor said she isn’t against the idea but said the cost of the land in question could be a hurdle too great to overcome.

Cr Leu said she has also been approached in person about buying the land and said Council will take the community’s calls into consideration.

“I would like to thank those who spoke to me at the Mossman Markets last weekend about this particular site,” she said.

“Council will consider it, however, at this early stage, it is anticipated that acquiring the land in question and maintaining it as a public asset would come at a significant cost to Douglas Shire ratepayers.”

The lap pool has been is use by locals for many years, despite it being owned by different hospitality and resort businesses in that time.

The pool, along with the gym, two tennis courts, and 4.3 acres of land, has been up for sale by expression of interest for about three weeks

Irene Cats, who owns and operates Swimfit in Port Douglas and manages the gym at the site, said since she started the petition most of the feedback she has received has been positive.

“I haven’t formally approached Council with this idea yet but I have spoken to heaps of people while working in the gym and running Swimfit and almost all the people I’ve spoken to are for it,” she said.

“That’s why I have started this petition, I want gauge if the idea has wide community support because I want to go Council with evidence of support.”

The pool is currently used by a number of local businesses for varied reasons including swimming and dive lessons as well as by the Oaks Resort.

“There are so many different businesses and groups that use it, it’s not just a hole in the ground tourists have a swim in, it’s a crucial facility in the community,” Ms Cats said.

“We have been so lucky to have the facility; it is used by the state school, by the Surf Life Saving Club for training, the Meteors Swim Club, I use it to keep locals fit, and the dive schools use it too.

“I am concerned if someone buys it, they will take it all down and we will lose the facility.”

Douglas Shire Council already runs and operates a public swimming pool in Mossman but Ms Cats believes there should be a public pool in Port Douglas as well.

“The thing is, even though Mossman is not super far, a lot of families in Port Douglas have kids with swimming lessons at all different times and Mossman is still a 20 minute drive,” she said.

“For a lot of parents that is just too big a hurdle and we as a community can’t take the risk of our kids not learning how to learn to swim because their parents can’t get to a pool.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Leu assured the community Douglas Shire Council is still in the process of considering building a water park for Port Douglas.

“Council is currently investigating the feasibility of a zero depth kids water park that could be a huge lifestyle boost to our local families,” she said.