With indoor swimming able to resume at a much reduced capacity as of Monday morning, swimming facilities within Ballarat have been left looking for more.
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According to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, indoor pools will open for people aged 18 and under for up to 20 swimmers, as well as for one-on-one hydrotherapy sessions.
Co-director at Shayne Reese Swimming Luke Harper said while the announcement is a start, further restrictions need to come to help prepare children for summer.
"Having 20 in the water is a start, it's a step forward, it's positive news," he said.
"The swimming and aquatic industry has been largely left out of all of these announcements for the last 10 weeks or so while we've been in lockdown.
"Drownings in Victoria are up 300 per cent over this time compared to the previous year... Moving into summer, it's crucial to be able to get these kids back in the water. If we couldn't, there was every chance that 300 per cent figure could absolutely skyrocket."
Looking forward, Mr Harper called for restrictions to ease simply to assist the industry, which he believes had been damaged more than almost any other.
"The swimming and aquatic industry has quietly been hit a lot harder than a lot of other industries," he continued.
"We can't do take-away, we can't do online sessions to a point and expect to charge for them. The amount of swim teachers and lifeguards that have been out of work is huge... to not get a mention for so long was very frustrating."
Shayne Reese Swimming is aiming to reopen its doors for classes and hydrotherapy on Monday, October 26.
Elsewhere within the community, the Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre (BALC) won't be opening its doors to the public until at least the start of November.
BALC indicated it would resume both its swimming lessons and gymnastic classes in early November for children under 18.
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