Council commits to a scaled-back pool splash

The City of Melbourne will be bringing back a scaled-down version of Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s election promise to make swimming pool entry more affordable across the city, following a successful trial of the initiative.

Cr Reece had initially promised throughout his campaign to provide $2 pool entry and 50,000 free beginner swimming lessons.

However, at the Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting on March 18, the council voted to provide 3000 free swimming lessons and limit $2 pool entry to weekdays throughout the 2025–26 summer.

This follows the council’s trial of the initiative in January this year, which offered $2 pool entry for any City of Melbourne resident at Carlton Baths and North Melbourne Outdoor Pool. Four-hundred free intensive swimming lessons were also available to residents at Melbourne City Baths.

While the trial was not as extensive as Cr Reece had initially promised, he was confident at the meeting that it had been a success, describing the results as a “beautiful set of numbers”.

Council data revealed that the cheaper swim entry initiative led to a 38 per cent increase in visitation, with 57 per cent of surveyed visitors attributing their attendance to the reduced entry cost.

Additionally, 93 per cent of participants in the Free Swimming Lessons program reported a significant improvement in their swimming ability and confidence.

Cr Reece said the initiatives had put a “spotlight” on Melbourne’s pools in a way he had not seen during his time on council, with thousands of residents enjoying a “happier” and “healthier” summer.

The council’s portfolio head for community and city services Cr Gladys Liu noted that the next iteration of the initiative would include targeted promotion for concession card holders, children, families, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

According to a report tabled at the FMC meeting on March 18, offering 400 swimming lesson enrolments at Melbourne City Baths in 2025 created some operational challenges, particularly in coordinating available pool space, which required additional staffing and resourcing.

However, the increased lead time to plan and deliver the program in January 2026 will allow for better preparation, program evaluation, and improved rostering of staff, the report stated.

A feasibility study will also be conducted later in the year to determine whether the soon-to-be-completed Kensington Community Aquatic and Recreation Centre can be included in the initiative.

The proposed 2025–26 budget for the two programs is $59,000, with the cost of this year’s trial amounting to $26,000, despite nearly $100,000 being allocated for the program’s delivery. •