The Blockade of Glen Dhu
I have never wanted to chain myself to machinery to protest a decision, but those feelings have changed.
Now I find myself wanting to incite The Glen Dhu Pool Blockade.
On December 18, 2024, in view of Christmas Day and the holiday period, the Tasmanian Liberal-minority State Government decided to 'take out the trash'.
This strategy of "taking out the trash"—often cited by political aficionados thanks to the The West Wing—has been a long-standing practice of governments and corporations. They often drop unpopular news late on a Friday afternoon to avoid political heat as punters look forward to the weekend.
Like many Northern Tasmanian children, I was sent to Glen Dhu Swimming Pool under the tutelage of the legendary Mr (Grant) Garwood dec., along with many other popular and revered Northern Tasmanian physical education teachers.
A tender for the demolition of the publicly owned Glen Dhu Pool and associated buildings, previously used exclusively for the learn-to-swim program and primary school swimming carnivals, was opened on Saturday… November 23, 2024, and closed a week before Christmas Day on December 18, 2024.
The tender documents stated that the public would pay $1,000,000 to the successful bidder for the privilege of destroying a much-needed community asset.
To much fanfare Glen Dhu Swimming Pool was allocated $3.45 million for refurbishment, including the development of an enclosed facility. However, "Following initial upgrades of the pool's filtration and thermal systems, the investigation found the pipework was badly corroded and at imminent risk of failure, meaning the core asset has failed and maintenance and upgrade works are no longer possible," Education Minister, Ms. Jo Palmer said.
The State Government claims that the decision was "forced upon us."
"We will work with stakeholders to review the availability of learn-to-swim facilities to ensure they keep up with demand into the future," Minister Palmer told us.
There is now a gross irony in public schools serving socioeconomically challenged communities hiring swimming facilities from fully funded private schools.
Swimming and water safety follows affluence. Post-COVID, unless provided at primary schools, private swimming lessons are for those families with the funds to pay.
As far as I know, Glen Dhu is the only shallow-even depth-public pool in the southern hemisphere.
The 1992 Tasmanian Water Safety Award was presented to Mr. J.W. (Bill) Brain, Physical Education Coordinator (North), on behalf of the Department of Education for the Swimming and Water Safety Program.
Revered public educator Mr. Brain coordinated the Water Safety Program in the north of the state for 32 years. "…he was credited with the design concept for even-depth teaching pools, which are now internationally accepted as the most cost-effective and educationally sound facility for conducting learn-to-swim programs for primary-aged children."
Mr Brain was published in the November 1976 edition of the International Swimmer on pages 15 and 16. His words from nearly 50 years ago are prophetic, reverberating commonsense in 2025.
"Despite extensive opposition from some members of the committee, who were in favour of some deep water, it has been shown that the pool's strength and success derive from the relatively shallow and even depth of the water.
"With an even-depth pool, the whole class can be in the water for the entire swimming period in very safe conditions.
"In a shallow-to-deep pool, a teacher can only cope with six children at a time, usually for five minutes. When children feel free to move about in the pool without fear of the bottom suddenly disappearing from under their feet, their confidence increases constantly.
"They no longer cling panic-stricken to the side, petrified to move."
The decision to demolish Glen Dhu Pool, which could be reopened tomorrow, is ludicrous.
"Royal Life Saving analysis of enrolments of children in swimming lessons in November 2021 decreased by at least 25 percent nationwide compared to the same time the previous year, with the greatest impact among children aged between seven and 12 years old, and many are unlikely to return to swimming lessons."
To make the closure of this public asset even more confronting, "The Royal Life Saving Summer Drowning Toll recorded 99 drowning deaths across Australia between December 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024.
"Tragically, this is a 10 per cent increase on the 90 drowning deaths recorded last summer and a 5 per cent increase on the 5-year average of 94 drowning deaths."
Five of these deaths were in Tasmania, up from two during the same period and up three from the five-year-summer-average.
If you consider that Tasmania's socioeconomic status is only lower than that of the Northern Territory, then it would be a safe bet to say that 50 percent of our children leave primary school without adequate swimming and survival skills.
It is difficult to understand how closing a community facility like the Glen Dhu Pool will improve these numbers.
The Riverside Swimming Centre took to social media to decry the decision of the Minister and the State Government:
"This little education dept pool has been a massive part of teaching kids to swim over many decades.
"It closed a few years back for upgrades, hundreds of thousands spent and could reopen soon to service what is badly needed, shallow water space.
"I have just been informed the pool will now be decommissioned and turned back to green space.
"This is a state government decision that needs to be reversed," they posted.
Legendary Launceston Swimming coach and Olympic medallist, Mr Peter Tonkin AO, a life member of Swimming Australia told The Examiner:
"The learn to swim program doesn't start till years three or four, where the kids are most at risk are the younger kids. That pool is ideal because it's much shallower than the aquatic centre," Mr Tonkin said.
"In the past, it's been a terrific facility; it's just crazy to have a purpose-built facility that will be demolished."
The Glen Dhu Pool Blockade may be required.