The Hilltops Council currently has an allocation of $1.7m under the Stronger Communities Fund to update the Entrance and Turnstiles at the Young Swimming Pool. 

Witness reader Wenona Longhurst echoed the sentiments of most of our readers’ comments on social media. She said talk of heating the pool had gone on too long and action was required.

“This has been going on for longer than 12 months,” she said.

“I remember being at a council community consultation meeting when my son was still living in Young 10 years ago, so it has been going around in circles for at least the last 10 years,” she said.

”We now have smaller surrounding towns with indoor heated pools and Young is still talking about it.

“With the size of Young compared to Cootamundra and Temora, we should have been the leading town, not the town dragging its tail. They have done it and we are still talking about it. We need more than just a new entrance, facilities and turnstile at the aquatic centre; we need a heated indoor pool.

“Let’s get the planning and infrastructure right and build a great complex that the whole community can utilise, because every time there is a consultation it costs money, ratepayers money, so let’s stop spending our money talking about it and put that money to good use for the whole community instead of wasting another 10 years on consultations.”

A Hilltops Council report said the council would seek to improve the Young Swimming Pool, but it would undertake a detailed planning and feasibility study to determine the exact scope of works. 

"This will include a detailed assessment of the feasibility of a heated pool in Young which had been identified for consideration by the former Young Council and the community," the report said.

"A decision on the feasibility of heating the pool will impact the final detailed scope of the project.”