A cherished summer ritual for Hunter children has been officially shelved, with swimming pools across the region restricting access to their diving blocks for the holiday season. The move, driven by safety protocols and insurance requirements, has left many families disappointed.
Family Fun Spoiled by Orange Cones
Paddy Ellis, a father from Salamander Bay, experienced the new policy firsthand during a recent hot Saturday visit to the Tomaree Aquatic Centre with his sons Cooper, 10, and Harvey, 7. The family arrived hoping to cool off and enjoy jumping into the water, only to find the diving blocks barricaded by bright orange cones.
"I was disappointed really," Mr Ellis said. "We've been down there plenty of times before and the boys really enjoy jumping off the blocks, doing bombs and practising their diving." He argued that children typically understand how to take turns and wait for the landing area to clear, and pointed to the popular, unsupervised Shoal Bay Jetty as an example of a common jumping spot where injuries are rare.
Operator Cites Long-Standing Safety Policy
Kalam Shaw, area manager for facility operator Belgravia Leisure, explained that the recreational use of diving blocks has been phased out in most New South Wales aquatic venues for several years. The policy is now standard practice during unsupervised public swimming sessions.
"These changes have been in force since before COVID due to insurance implications, risk to patron and adhering to the Royal Life Guideline for Safe Pool Operations," Mr Shaw stated. He confirmed the rules apply to all Belgravia facilities in the Hunter, and are also seen at other Newcastle pools like Mayfield and Lambton.
Charles Shaddock, Port Stephens Council's acting community services section manager, noted that council contracts Belgravia Leisure to manage all aquatic centre operations, including safety. "Council will continue to work with our contract partners in ensuring that the operational needs of the community are being met," he said.
Broader Concerns Over Pool Management
The diving block issue has amplified existing community frustration regarding the management of local pools. Mr Ellis noted that the secondary children's and toddlers' pools at the Tomaree facility are frequently closed. "They have been quite often out of action, definitely in no condition for swimming," he remarked, calling it a "wasted resource."
In response, Mr Shaw said the holiday period sees thousands of visitors, and all areas, including the water slide, are open daily. He explained that updated risk assessments now require a dedicated second lifeguard to supervise the program pool, which was previously patrolled by a single guard overseeing the entire complex.
"We encourage any family who attends the venue during a time where the program pool is shown as closed, to ask reception if it's possible to have a team member provide supervision for usage," he added, noting many receptionists are also qualified lifeguards.
Online, the community reaction has been strong. Comments on a local Facebook page lamented the loss, with one parent, Karina Watson, stating it's a parent's duty to watch children. Another resident, Kristin Hanna, said, "Tomaree pool is slowly becoming a ghost town." For now, the iconic splash of children leaping from diving blocks into Hunter pools will remain a memory of summers past.
