THE Ararat Olympic Outdoor Swimming Pool has received another high profiled backer with Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie throwing her support behind the project.
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Senator McKenzie viewed the pool site during a visit to Ararat last week with The Nationals’ candidate for Ripon, Scott Turner, and said it would be great to see the facility restored so it could once again be enjoyed by the community.
“Obviously as an ex-phys eder I am incredibly passionate about keeping communities active. I think there are examples right around the state where community groups have taken on the management of these outdoor pools,” she said.
“Scott has been a strong advocate for the pool and has been for a long time — he’s not a ‘Johnny come lately’ to the issue — and he was wanting to show me the site.”
It is the second time in the past month that Senator McKenzie has visited Ararat.
Mr Turner said he had also discussed the issue of the Ararat Olympic Outdoor Swimming Pool with Victorian Deputy Premier Peter Ryan and Minister for Sport and Recreation, Damian Drum.
Senator McKenzie said she would return to Ararat in a couple of weeks to discuss with the Ararat Pool Committee ways The National Party may be able to assist the project.
“I think the community management idea is powerful...It puts the onus back onto the community,” she said.
“From a federal government perspective, any infrastructure projects that we’re looking at as part of The Nationals’ Stronger Regions fund — which applications just opened last week — are about projects that have an economic benefit.
“We want to make sure that the projects that we do fund actually focus on increasing the economic development of the town.
“Scott is really keen for me to get my eyes over the site and plans to get a real feel for it, because he knows the importance of this facility, but not just on this project any infrastructure and programs that increase physical activity right throughout communities.
“I think that is why he would make such a fantastic local member, because he is passionate about this holistic view on how to increase the health of the community.”