A community aquatic centre in Lake Macquarie could close its doors next year should council choose not to takeover the facility.
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Valentine Hydrotherapy Pools - an indoor centre catering to social swimmers, disability groups, rehabilitation patients, schools, swim programs and more - looks set to close next winter unless a deal can be struck with Lake Macquarie council.
The centre has operated on council land for the past 54 years. The site is leased by a registered charity, VHP Incorporated, and the centre run and maintained by about 15 long-standing volunteers.
"We approached council and spoke to them in August last year about the possibility of them taking over the operation of it, as they've done with both Toronto and Morisset [pools]," VHP Inc secretary John McGrath said.
"What we said was, 'in the interim period, we can still operate'. The interim period we saw as two years, because we have to be conscious of our financial position.
"We can't get into a situation where we can't pay [our bills].
"We have a couple of employees, cleaners and things like that we used to do, but we don't do anymore because you can't do it all."
The centre has four pools: a 25-metre, 15-metre, hydrotherapy and toddler's pool. It attracts, on average, about 80,000 patrons each year.
Mr McGrath said money needed to be invested in the centre, mainly for a new $90,000 roof, but volunteers had worked tirelessly over the years to keep it open.
"We run a canteen that we raise money out of and it's fully manned by volunteers. Any work done around the place in the form of working bees, to maintain or improve the facility, is generally done by volunteer labour," he said.
Mr McGrath said falling volunteer numbers and the loss of a $10,000 annual council grant in 2017 had left management with little choice but to seek a takeover.
"We've got to a stage now where we're a little bit short on funding to run it," he said. "Money's not as free-flowing as it was once upon a time. You could raise money in the community a lot easier 20 years ago than you can now."
Last week, Lake Macquarie councillors were presented with a staff recommendation to offer VHP Inc reduced rent from $4800 to $1125, and waived council rates of $7520, per annum.
East Ward councillor Adam Shultz said taking into account the previously provided grant, the net benefit to VHP Inc would be about $2000, which he said was a "paltry amount" and "taking with one hand and giving with the other".
He attempted to move an amendment for council to enter into discussions to takeover the facility, but a decision was deferred until councillors receive due diligence reports.
"I want to see it remain open for the benefit of our community," he said.
"Valentine Hydrotherapy Pools have come to council, and councillors, and been open and honest about their predicament.
"They have put their hands up and acknowledged that they are in genuine financial difficulty and they want to ensure that this facility remains open for years to come to benefit the community.
"If council staff, and councillors for that matter, want to sit on their hands and let Valentine Hydrotherapy Pools close after 54 years of operation, they should at the very least be upfront and frank about their plans."