Yass Valley Council Leads Push for National Swimming Pool Fund

Published on 07 July 2026

Yass Valley Council has led advocacy at the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly (NGA) for the establishment of a dedicated national fund for council-managed swimming pools.

At its Ordinary Council Meeting on Thursday 26 February 2026, Council resolved a motion to the 2026 ALGA National General Assembly calling for the establishment of a dedicated national fund to support the repair, replacement, and upgrade of ageing Olympic-style swimming pools operating as council-managed public assets.

From 23–25 June, Yass Valley Council CEO Gayleen Burley and Mayor Jasmin Jones attended the ALGA National General Assembly in Canberra, where Mayor Jones presented the strategic motion. The motion received support from councils including Newcastle City Council (NSW), Bass Coast Shire Council (VIC), Campaspe Shire Council (VIC) and Moyne Shire Council (VIC), strengthening advocacy to the Australian Government for the establishment of a dedicated national funding program for council-managed swimming pools.

The Yass and Binalong Memorial Swimming Pools are vital community assets that have served residents for more than 60 years. As these facilities continue to age, significant investment will be required to repair and upgrade them so they can continue to meet the needs of future generations.

Affordable access to public swimming facilities plays an essential role in water safety, physical health and mental wellbeing. Investing in community swimming pools has never been more important, with research by Royal Lifesaving Australia showing that one in two Australian children are unable to swim 50 metres. However, the cost of maintaining and renewing ageing aquatic infrastructure is beyond the capacity of local councils alone. Royal Lifesaving Australia estimates that more than 500 pools across the country will reach the end of their lifespan by 2030. A dedicated national fund would provide much-needed support for communities in Yass Valley and across Australia.

Yass Valley Mayor Jasmin Jones said:

“The nation’s peak body for council advocacy, The Australian Local Government Association, is now tasked with calling for a federal fund to restore or replace pools that are reaching critical replacement to ensure the opportunity to learn to swim continues to be a life-saving skill that is just as accessible for country kids as it is for those in cities."

Hugh Rainger, President of the Yass Swim Club, has offered his support to the motion, saying:

"Clubs and councils have carried these pools for sixty years. But renewing a sixty-year-old pool is beyond any club, and beyond any regional council's rates base. That is what this motion recognises. Federal support would not be a handout. It would be recognition that public pools are essential infrastructure, as vital to a town as its roads and its library."

The ALGA National General Assembly is the key national agenda-setting forum for local government, bringing together hundreds of delegates from councils across Australia to advocate for issues of national significance. Having the motion supported by the Assembly is an important step towards establishing a dedicated funding program.

Yass Valley Council is proud to have helped bring this important issue to the national stage and will continue to advocate for the establishment of a dedicated national fund for council-managed swimming pools.

Read the resolved motions

To view all four motions submitted by Yass Valley Council to the 2026 Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) National General Assembly, see Item 6.22 – Australian Local Government Association – National General Assembly 2026 Motions.