THE woman leading the campaign to save the Wagga Base Hospital hydrotherapy pool from closure has suggested a cheaper means of heating the pool to lower costs and help stave off big entry fee hikes.
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Four months after plans by the Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) to close the pool were revealed, the health service on Monday backed down - at least temporarily - in the face of community objection.
It said it would continue to operate the pool with a new fee structure for the next nine months.
It said a review of pool usage and operation costs would then be conducted.
The new fee structure - aimed at significant cost recovery - involves a flat $55 booking fee for groups of up to 10 people.
That compares to the previous fee of $4 a person.
Karenne Connors, who is leading the campaign to save the pool, said cheaper solar energy should be explored by the MLHD as an alternative to electricity to heat the pool.
Mrs Connors said energy cost savings could be passed on to users in the form of reasonable entry fees.
"The answer (to heating costs) is staring us in the face every sunny day"
- Karenne Connors
"Let's seriously look at this, get the (current energy cost) figures, consult with the professionals and see if this is a possibility," she said.
"We should be looking at reducing costs, not increasing income.
"The answer (to heating costs) is staring us in the face every sunny day."
Simon Playfair, of Planet Power, said if the pool was currently heated by electricity then a solar system would go a long way towards lowering heating costs.
"If the (electricity) bill was, say, $100 a day it could be halved," Mr Playfair said.
Mrs Connors suggested a solar energy company might be prepared to sponsor the cost of installing a water heating system in return for public recognition.
While relieved closure of the hydrotherapy pool has been put off for now, Mrs Connors is concerned the MLHD is now raising the condition of the pool for the first time.
In a statement released on Monday, Wagga Base Hospital general manager Denis Thomas said the pool continued to require a high level of maintenance.
"... and over the coming months the structure of the pool, which is now more than 20 years old, will be assessed," the statement said.
Amid concerns the MLHD might be shifting the goal posts, The Daily Advertiser put a number of questions to the MLHD and asked for an interview with Mr Thomas.
But the health service refused to answer any questions or to put up a spokesperson for interview.
Instead, it said the questions would be addressed with Mrs Connors.
"To my recollection, this is the first mention of the structure of the pool by Mr Thomas," Mrs Connors said.
"I ask Mr Thomas to declare all his concerns about the pool now, rather than citing further issues with structure, maintenance and equipment in nine months' time."
