Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the future of the historic Victoria Park Swimming Club, which sits in my electorate of Swan. I was recently approached by the swimming club for urgent assistance following advice from the Town of Victoria Park that they will have to pay thousands of dollars a year in new lane fees from July this year.

The Victoria Park Swimming Club, one of Perth's oldest professional swimming clubs, was to be charged new lane rates, potentially totalling tens of thousands of dollars a year, and the club was worried they would simply not be able to absorb these new fees and have to pass them on. For members and their children it was an extra cost of $500 per annum.

Fortunately, yesterday on 6PR with Howard Sattler I was able to discuss this issue with the mayor of the Town of Victoria Park, Trevor Vaughan, who I know is a deeply community-minded person, and it looks as though we might have been able to resolve the issue. The mayor has assured me he will look at the issue and try and sort it out.

While we are talking about it, Jennifer Reilly, the dual Olympian, trained at Victoria Park. As is common, most swimming pools around Australia let Olympians in for free. The Town of Victoria Park wants to take that free membership away, which is disappointing, but I will continue to work with the Victoria Park town council and the swimming club to achieve the correct outcomes.

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