FREE entry to outdoor pools in the Mitchell Shire will begin on Sunday when all outdoor pools open for the summer season.
The Broadford outdoor pool, Seymour War Memorial outdoor pool and Tallarook outdoor pool will be open for residents and visitors to access for free.
The Bendigo Community Bank Adventure Playground in Wallan also officially opens on Sunday.
Some special outdoor events might attract an entry fee and admission to Kilmore Leisure Centre and Seymour Sports and Aquatic Centre will still have normal admission prices.
The outdoor pools will host a range of activities through the summer including aqua classes, learn to swim lessons, pool inflatables, dive in movie nights and early morning lap swimming.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Councillor Bill Chisholm said the pools received a large amount of visits previously and now the service would be provided for free.
“We had more than 16,000 visits to our outdoor pools last summer which is tremendous,” Cr Chisholm said.
“It is great that we now can provide the same pool service completely free of charge for casual users to help people get more active, more often.
“Hopefully this will result in more visits to our pools.”
The Mitchell Shire Council reminds all adults that children under the age of 10 must be actively supervised by a responsible adult as part of council’s Watch Around the Water policy.
“Parents and guardians are also reminded to supervise their children at all times,” Cr Chisholm said.
“Council has lifeguards to help those who may get in trouble, but there is nothing like direct supervision.
“In fact, this is part of our entry requirements that all children under 10 are supervised.”
Outdoor pools will open when the temperature forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology reaches 26 degrees or greater and operating hours may vary due to changing temperatures and patronage levels.
Closure of the pools due to maintenance or safety reasons, including dangerous weather conditions, will be communicated to the public via the Mitchell Shire Leisure Services Facebook page.
For opening hours and opening times, people can visit the Mitchell Shire Council website or the Mitchell Shire Leisure Services Facebook page.
