I have written to council to ask that it review its decision to build a 50-metre outdoor swimming pool in Corowa.

I missed the opportunity to input my opinion when submissions were called for, and I am dismayed that this decision will impact in a negative way on the community here in Corowa.

For over one year, a group of women including myself have travelled at 7.30am from Corowa twice each week to exercise and swim in the indoor pool complex at the HP Barr Reserve in Wangaratta. We are all in our late 60s and early 70s.

Having suffered from osteoarthritis for 30 years and with four joint replacements, I personally appreciate the enormous benefits of regular exercise in a warm water pool. My colleagues swim laps in the 25m heated pool and also exercise in the hydrotherapy pool, in an effort to develop and maintain their strength and physical endurance as they age.

Given that Corowa's population is ageing, I am convinced that the more appropriate choice of pool facilities here would be for an indoor, comfortable environment which would be available 52 weeks of the year, rather than an outdoor pool which could be used for perhaps only 15 weeks each year, and with limited attraction for older citizens.

In Wangaratta, we see many little children in swimming lessons all year round, people with disabilities happily exercising all year round and school children training all year round.

We observe large groups of older people enjoying water exercise classes and others benefitting from lap swimming and gentle rehabilitation exercise programs.

I cannot understand the reasoning behind Federation Council’s decision and sincerely ask that it have another look at this from the viewpoint of the wider Corowa community. 

I believe an indoor pool complex, incorporating a 25m heated pool plus a heated hydrotherapy pool with railings at water level would provide for the needs of the whole Corowa community in all seasons - in fact general community health and well-being would be enhanced.

Apparently if a Centrelink recipient is overpaid, either through dishonesty or inadvertence, they are pursued relentlessly for repayment. So why is it that a different standard appears to apply to our politicians?

The same rules should therefore be applied to those politicians who were not qualified to sit in Parliament but have been receiving entitlements since the election. They should be forced to repay that money and also pay for the cost of the resulting by-election.

And given the freezing of funds for the ABC, maybe the pay of our MPs and other entitlements should be frozen for the same period and the money saved given to the national broadcaster who provides unbiased reporting unlike most of the commercial operations.

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