Tuesday, 16 June 2026

 Lauren KATHAGE (Yan Yean) (13:39): Mernda needs a pool, and 56 people made a submission saying exactly that to the Whittlesea council as part of their budget process. Thanks to Nicole, Ben, Ann, Jim, Tim, Maria, Jenette, Neville, Chanelle, Alex, Danielle, Jitender and Hope, who did that. Council are meeting very soon, and they say in their agenda that there will be a meeting in August where they will decide the future of the Mernda pool and they will decide if they can afford the pool, they say. They have received as much money – and in many cases more money – from the state government for a pool as other councils across the state.

And those other councils have managed to build a pool, like the pool in Northcote, Bacchus Marsh and Brimbank –

Kathleen Matthews-Ward interjected.

Lauren KATHAGE: And Fawkner. Thank you, member. And the councils have gone on to build the pool with those commitments – why can’t Whittlesea? I encourage the community to keep raising their voice in calling for a pool for our community. Council has received as much money as other councils, sometimes five times as much money as other councils who have managed to build a pool, so our council need to get on and deliver what they have promised for our community.