Children aged four and under will no longer be charged to enter the Sunshine or St Albans leisure centres following complaints from pool spectators.
Under new entrance fees approved by Brimbank council last week, adults who accompany children aged five to 15 but do not enter the water themselves will also not be charged.
Sunshine Community Pool Action Group spokeswoman Katie Pahlow said waiving fees for younger swimmers was a positive step.
“Anything that makes the centre more accessible and affordable is exactly what the community is looking for,” she said.
“Many children aren’t learning to swim so anything to make them more water-safe is a really positive initiative the community would support.
The changes to entrance fees are expected to cost the council up to $10,000 a year at the Sunshine Leisure Centre alone, but “increased patronage with the introduction of more affordable fees” could make up the shortfall, a council report states.
Under the new fee structure, adults who enter the water with children aged five to 15 will continue to pay a $6 entry fee. A flat $6 fee for adults with children aged four and under will also remain because of Watch Around Water Guidelines which require an adult to be in the water at all times with a child under four.
Children aged five to 15 will continue to pay $4.60 to enter. Prices for families – two adults and up to three children – will remain at $16.60.
The changes will come into effect on November 1.
They follow complaints from spectators last summer who were unhappy they had to pay to sit by the pool and watch their child swim.
The council report found that the cost for non-swimming adults “may provide a barrier to some families bringing their children to the pool, if they can’t afford the fees”.
“Families may also send one adult to supervise multiple children, potentially putting their children at risk and placing additional pressure on the lifeguards,” it stated.
The report stated that the council would produce a business case for future use of the Sunshine Leisure Centre by next February. In the meantime, it will seek community input and expert industry advice and consider community demands for the SLC’s heated outdoor pool to be opened all year round or at least for an additional three months.
