Northern Victoria Region
Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (12:56): (666) My question is for the Minister for Energy and Resources. Minister, what is your government doing to ensure that soaring energy prices will not cause the closure of public facilities such as heated swimming pools, neighbourhood houses, community centres, libraries and other important community venues? This Labor government’s disastrous energy policies are having a devastating impact on community facilities like local swimming pools. Bendigo East Swimming Pool, where Olympian Jenna Strauch got her start, is the only heated outdoor pool in Bendigo. Sadly, Jenna might be the last Olympic swimmer that pool will produce, because Greater Bendigo City Council have announced that they can no longer afford to keep this pool open during the winter months due to the soaring cost of gas. Heated swimming pools are vital to the health and wellbeing of the community, particularly for those who need to perform non-weight-bearing exercise and for those who participate in competition swimming that requires year-round training. Contrary to what the minister says, under Labor the price of energy is only going up, up and up.