Leigh Cassidy told The Courier there had been no discussion or consultation so far surrounding the closure of the pool with the school community.

Ballarat council’s city infrastructure general manager, Eric Braslis, said at the council meeting on Wednesday night it had been made clear to Black Hill Primary School staff the direction of the aquatic strategy was towards closing the pool.

Mr Braslis told the chamber he and the council’s manager of sport and recreation, Lucas Carey, had met the school’s principal and Mr Cassidy at the school earlier this year.

He said the purpose of the visit was to discuss the matter in detail, before the decision to close the pool was made.

However, Mr Cassidy said the meeting went for no longer than 15 minutes and there was no discussion between the school or council officers.

Mr Cassidy said the keys to the pool were offered to the school.

“They said if they did not take the keys and operate the pool, it would be shut down,” Mr Cassidy said. 

“It is clearly it is not a state primary school’s job to manage community infrastructure.

“The whole thing is a barefaced lie. At no time was it a two-way discussion or was the school consulted on the matter.”

He said the meeting only occurred at the school’s request when it was revealed the aquatic strategy aimed to shut the pool.

“We were not even notified about the strategy,” Mr Cassidy said. 

“The council is claiming governance issues are the reason the pool cannot be reopened but there has been absolutely no quality of governance throughout this whole process.” 

Mr Cassidy said he was furious about the council’s process and lack of consultation. 

“The Black Hill residents aren’t rebel rousers or trouble makers,” Mr Cassidy said. “We are hard-working people who pay our rates and try do the right thing by our families, but the council have taken us for fools.”

He raised concerns as to why the council had conducted extensive consultation at the primary school’s hall in the lead-up to plans for the Black Hill lookout being implemented but did not do the same for the Black Hill Pool.

He also questioned why elements of the aquatic strategy including the 50-metre pool in Gillies Street and Midlands Reserve water park had already been under way before the strategy had even been approved.

Mr Cassidy said the school community and Black Hill residents wanted the pool to be re-opened immediately.

“To date, the council have been completely incapable of verifying the liberty of data they have used to close the pool,” he said. “The council now needs to start being reasonable and fair and commit to a gesture of goodwill to get the pool open for the summer.” 

The Courier contacted the City of Ballarat  several times for comment, but was told it could not respond until Friday.

melissa.cunningham@fairfaxmedia.com.au