By David Ettershank
Meeting up with mates at the pool for a swim and a Paddle Pop was a huge part of growing up in Australia for many of us, but kids in the western suburbs of Melbourne are missing out on this important rite of passage. We have fewer aquatic and recreation centres per head than the rest of Melbourne. Add to that the limited public transport options to get to pools further away, and it leaves our young folk high and dry.
Nobody wants our young people hanging around on the street – but they don’t currently have much choice. In Wyndham City Council there’s one aquatic centre for every 48,000 young folks, compared to one for every 5,000 young people living in the City of Melbourne. Where’s the fairness in that?
Public swimming pools don’t just offer relief from the heat, they are also a hub of community connection and socialisation. People from all generations can share these vibrant community spaces (and a Paddle Pop!), increasing social cohesion. The newly redeveloped St Kilda Pier is a fantastic example of what a public space can be. It’s social infrastructure, which the West simply doesn’t have enough of.
The West is also drier and hotter than the rest of Melbourne, averaging five degrees warmer than other areas, and as much as 13 degrees hotter in summer. This is mainly caused by what’s called the “urban heat island effect,” where a lack of tree cover and a whole lot of concrete leads to more heat being absorbed and radiated back. Think about the heat that comes off the footpath even after the sun has gone down – that’s the urban heat island effect.
In the West we have an average tree cover of only 5.5%, while the leafy green eastern suburbs boast a much healthier 25.9%. With less shade, it’s no wonder that our streets get and stay hotter for longer.
Living in hotter suburbs means the desire to head to the beach – or a pool further from home – remains, but the lack of access to public swimming pools means fewer of our young folk are getting the opportunity to learn how to swim and stay safe near the water. Is it any wonder that drowning incidents are on the rise?
It’s not just young people who are missing out. The lack of pools contributes to social isolation, less exercise, and can pose significant health risks for older people.
On a sweltering hot day in February, I joined other members of Legalise Cannabis Victoria at a ‘pool party without a pool’ in Werribee, to highlight the scarcity of pools in the area. As you can see – it was unnecessarily hot and dusty.
The West needs more infrastructure, better public transport, and generally more attention from the government. We can and should expect better, especially after the recent Werribee By-election delivered the mother of all wake up calls to the government.
Let’s give young people something to do over summer, let’s build more pools so our teens can have a swim with their mates. We’re not asking for anything more than our fair share. We want the government to take the plunge and deliver more for the west.
David Ettershank is a Member for Western Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Parliament. His office can be contacted at david.ettershank@parliament.vic.gov.au or on (03) 9317 5900.
