DACCI DL brochure
Let’s make a
splash Denmark deserves an aquatic centre that everyone can use
“Denmark should have a place where residents can learn to swim, and swim for fitness. Come on Denmark Council and residents, get behind this great cause!” Bill Kirby OAM, Olympic Gold Medallist, Sydney 2000
www.denmarkpool.org.au
DACCI DL brochure
Denmark is one of the few towns in WA that doesn’t have a local pool. We need a place where kids can learn survival swimming. A place where adults can fight the middle-aged bulge. A place where all people can maintain their fitness and feel great. Our mission is to bring a pool to Denmark. But not just any old pool.
We propose a ‘public’ aquatic centre After extensive research and professional engineering studies, DACCI commissioned concept designs for an environmentally sustainable indoor aquatic centre. The facility will complete the original vision for our existing Rec Centre. It will be the proud home of a local swim club, swimming lessons, a hydrotherapy pool and more. It will be a place where kids, teenagers and adults can gather and enjoy a sense of health and wellbeing, all year round.
Council proposes a ‘private’ pool If the Council’s restricted access pool goes ahead, you can forget about lap swimming. And school swimming. And any swimming for fun or fitness.
Their pool will NOT be open to the general public for swimming. It greatly jeopardises the chance of a proper aquatic centre ever being built in Denmark.
Help us steer Council in the right direction We need to show Council that all Denmark residents and visitors will benefit from a comprehensive aquatic centre – and that we won’t settle for anything less. Help us spread the word and make our voices heard on this important community matter.
DACCI DL brochure
Here’s why
a comprehensive aquatic centre is best for Denmark.
Health and wellbeing for all ages • Antenatal fitness for pregnant women
A place for residents and visitors to enjoy • Stay active in all weather • Sports groups – rehabilitation, cool down, recovery, training and team building • Surf lifesaving club training – achieving the required swimming standards to keep Denmark beaches safe • Social hub for teenagers • Spectator gallery for swimming carnivals
• Early water awareness for bubs and toddlers • Survival swimming lessons for our coastal kids • Lap pool swimming for fitness at all ages • Exercise options for elderly population • Warm water program for therapy and rehabilitation
Benefits beyond ‘diving in’ • Increase community wellbeing and reduce isolation • A way to attract investment • Increase property values • Build capacity for growing population • A state-of-the-art, sustainable community asset • Keep families local (instead of travelling to, and spending in, Albany)
How the two pools compare The DACCI proposal The aquatic centre proposed by DACCI has been designed to meet the needs of the whole community – now and for future generations. It links in beautifully with the existing Rec Centre to create a health and fitness precinct that the whole town can be proud of. Extensive research went into the design of the DACCI proposal, with particular attention to environmental and sustainable factors.
Features – – – – – – – –
25m x 16m, 6-8 lane swimming pool 7m x 5m hydrotherapy pool that meets Australian Standards Children’s wet play area (stage 2) Centralised lobby for pool and Rec Centre patrons Energy-saving design Dedicated changerooms that meet Australian Standards Capacity for swimming carnivals Open to all members of the public
The Council proposal We know that the Council’s proposed pool in 2015 will be inadequate for a town like Denmark. You won’t be able to turn up and swim there, unless you are joining a program run by a specialised instructor. Furthermore, it is being promoted as a hydrotherapy pool yet it doesn’t meet Australian standards for hydro facilities.
Draw-backs – Two 11m x 4.5 m pools In other words, no lap swimming, no swim squads, no swimming lessons beyond Stage 3. Coastal children should progress much further through the swimming levels. – Not open to the general public You can’t simply turn up and have a swim or do some laps. It’s only for infant learn-to-swim and rehabilitation programs, with a qualified instructor.
Aquatic Centre Concept Designs by Architects Pixel Trix and Bollig Design Group.
– No dedicated changerooms Patrons will have to use the Rec Centre’s ‘dry’ changerooms … or go home wet. – High running costs The Council’s design situates the warm pool and cool pool in same room. This will cause running costs to skyrocket because there is no thermal insulation for the heated pool. – There are simply too many unknowns The Council’s project is still in a conceptual stage, so it is unreasonable to ask the community to agree if they don’t know the finer details or exact costs. – A larger aquatic centre may never happen In building their pool, the Council will use up all existing pool funds and make it very difficult to apply for future grants. This means it’s unlikely there will ever be any additions or extensions to their pool to cater for other swimmers.
Above: an artist’s impression of the DACCI proposal – the outdoor play area (stage 2). Right: an artist’s impression of the DACCI proposal – south entrance.
DACCI DL brochure
Got questions? Here are some of the most common questions we get asked about this issue. For more details, please visit www.denmarkpool.org.au Who is DACCI? Denmark Aquatic Centre Committee Inc (DACCI) has been campaigning for an aquatic centre in Denmark for over 25 years. Why do we need a comprehensive aquatic centre? DACCI’s proposed aquatic centre will promote health and wellbeing for people of all ages. The Council’s pool, on the other hand, can only be used by a very small fraction of the community. Isn’t Council’s cheap pool better than no pool at all? In some people’s minds, getting a restricted access pool in 2017 is preferable to aiming for a better facility down the track. Yet we need to think ahead. If we work together, we could have a comprehensive aquatic facility by late 2019 – one that will benefit the town for decades to come. What will DACCI’s pool cost? Full details of the DACCI proposal are on our website – including how we plan to raise the ~$10m to build the facility. Then, ratepayers will help pay the ongoing running costs (see website for detailed breakdown of costs). Please note that the Council inflated these costs at the 2013 referendum. What will the Council’s pool cost? The Council’s pool comes in at a fraction of the price – but you get what you pay for. Their initial decision to proceed was based on very low and unsubstantiated running costs, with staff costs and revenue admitted to be ‘unknown’. How can I help? Please say ‘no’ to anything less than what Denmark deserves – and that is an aquatic centre that all community groups can use. You can spread the word or get in touch below if you’d like to help directly.
Contact us: www.denmarkpool.org.au
email: denmarkpool@gmail.com PO Box 384, Denmark WA 6333