The clubs are at an impasse with Aligned Leisure over increased costs for lane and pool hire and with the start of their respective seasons almost upon us, it’s a messy situation.

There seems the very real prospect that clubs could take strike action with meetings thus far failing to provide a resolution.

The Ovens and Murray Water Polo Association claims it will need to come up with more than $165,000 in lane and pool hire per season under the five-year Aligned Leisure contract.

That would equate to a membership increase of $339 per player but the amounts claimed are disputed by Aligned Leisure, who say it would only cost “$88.75 per participant for the full outdoor pool season”.

Ovens and Murray District Swimming Association committee member Phil Evans said some clubs could be forced to fold because of the dispute.

Richmond Football Club-owned Aligned Leisure replaced Albury Aquatic Management as the operators of the Albury and Lavington swim centres and WAVES and Wodonga Leisure Centre from YMCA in a long-term deal brokered by Albury and Wodonga councils.

Wodonga mayor Cr Anna Speedie said at the time the deal was “not only about savings but also cost efficiencies and represents a significant cost saving for both councils”.

That may be seen as a positive for ratepayers but there’s an element of robbing Peter to pay Paul if it disadvantages the pools' key user groups. There appears to be an element of double dipping, asking the swimming and water polo clubs to pay to enter the pools and then to pay again for lane hire.

More meetings are scheduled for this week and we can only hope a resolution is found quickly because it would be a tragedy if kids are driven away from the sports because of increasing costs.

If this Aligned Leisure deal is indeed a positive one for our community, our swimming and water polo clubs can’t be the first ones to sink.