It was a busy two days at the Rochester Shire Hall as a steady stream of residents rolled in to share their thoughts on the Rochester War Memorial Pool’s future.
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Kate Maddock and Ben Bainbridge from Otium Planning led three drop-in sessions on Thursday evening and Friday morning for residents to attend.
In only the first hour of the first session, more than 50 residents showed up, with some arriving at the hall even before Ms Maddock and Mr Bainbridge.
During the sessions, residents of all ages shared their thoughts on the proposed pool plans and asked questions.
Rochester resident Shane Connelly attended the 6pm to 8pm session on Thursday night with his daughter, Ruby Connelly.
Mr Connelly said he attended the session to ensure that there was an option for a swimming pool available.
“We just wanted to check the progress of the whole pool rebuild and make sure that there's an option for swimming basically,” he said.
“A lot of people we talk to, ourselves included, think we should have a 50m lap pool, but at minimum, a 25m pool rather than just a splash park.
“The splash park would be a great add-on, but everyone really needs a pool to swim in.”
Without a pool in Rochy, Mr Connelly and his family have been travelling to Elmore or Tongala to swim.
His daughter Ruby, an avid swimmer, also shared her thoughts about the plans.
“It sounded like a lot of people in the town wanted a 50m pool, which made me wonder why we didn't have a 50m pool in the options,” she said.
“I think everyone really enjoyed having a 50m pool to swim laps and that was really good to bring people together as well... all the towns around here would be coming here to do school swimming sports and things.
“If you wanted to be a swimmer, you could train there and do laps in the morning... but I haven't been able to do that for a while.”
The designs created by Campaspe Shire Council were based on information collected in previous consultations with Otium Planning.
The first proposed option is a splash park and lagoon pool with amenities worth $12.5m.
This option includes a 375 sq m zero-depth splash pad, interactive posts, activating bubblers, water jets and a 250 sq m lagoon pool with a 1.7m depth.
There would also be shade sails, change rooms, fencing, soft landscaping, a barbecue shelter and a reception kiosk with a conditioned lifeguard room.
The second $12.5m option is a 25m pool with water play elements and amenities.
The lap pool is proposed to be a skimmer box pool with a raised hob with an all-around epoxy painted shell and sand filtration.
There will also be a 350 sq m pool pavilion, including change rooms, admin and a kiosk.
Depending on the budget, there will also be some paving works done and soft landscaping.
The third and cheapest of the options is a $5m splash park with amenities only.
While features would be limited to the budget, this option would be similar to the first, with a 375 sq m zero-depth splash pad, interactive posts, activating bubblers and water jets.
There would also be shade sails, fencing, soft landscaping and a barbecue shelter.
Another Rochester resident, Jeanette Dempsey, said as long as there was a pool, nothing else mattered.
“I came down because I would like to see a swimming pool in Rochester. A swimming pool — not a splash park because I think children need to learn to swim (and) older people like to do exercises in pools,” she said.
“I’d only be interested in a pool. What else they want or can afford to put around it and how they're going to run it or anything else, that's not my department.
“I just think it's an important place as a gathering place. I mean, fish and chips down by the pool was great socialisation. It brings the community together.”
While Mr Bainbridge and Ms Maddock were in Rochester, they also had meetings with key stakeholders to discuss the pool, including the Rochester Business Network, Rochester Secondary School and Friends of Rochester War Memorial Pool.
While drop-in sessions are now over, pool plans can still be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/mtw9d9kf by clicking the link found under the listed design options.
Residents can also submit feedback on plans by completing a survey at https://tinyurl.com/bs327cm4