Council seeking community input on Winchelsea Pool opening hours
Published on 06 August 2025
Planning for the new Winchelsea Pool’s first full summer season is well underway, and Surf Coast Shire Council is seeking community feedback on options for opening hours within Council’s adopted budget.
Council has launched a short survey which asks for:
- Feedback on longer hours during school holidays, shorter hours during school terms and, or consistent hours across both.
- Views on the introduction of a temperature threshold for opening of the pool. Closure on colder days, with notice for the public, would enable longer opening hours in hotter weather.
Cr Joel Grist: “We encourage community members to let us know their preferences as we prepare for the new season.
“We deliver pool opening hours within the adopted budget, and can’t extend opening hours indefinitely, but some adjustments based on community preferences might make positive differences for users.
“We appreciate that the community wants to make the best of this sparkling new facility, and we look forward to a new summer season of activity and family fun.”
Council will continue to subsidise operating costs to keep use affordable for the community, will continue to run Vicswim during January, and encourage schools to use the pool for swimming carnivals.
The new summer season is planned to open in late November and close in early March.
Opening hours for the 2024/2025 season were 10am to 5pm on weekends, and 3pm to 7pm Monday to Friday. The former pool was open noon to 6pm, seven days a week.
Community members can complete the survey via https://yoursay.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/winchelsea-pool-20252026-season
Council has welcomed receiving findings from a community-led survey on use of the pool, however this feedback was not considering Council’s adopted budget. Introduction of many of the suggested changes from the community-led survey would require significant extra funding and potential scaling back of other services in the community.
The new pool was opened in late February following an $8.9 million redevelopment, fully funded under Council’s asset renewal program.