Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Palmerston swimming coach Daniel Gerlach pushes for access to Howard Springs pool

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Palmerston swimming coach Daniel Gerlach pushes for access to Howard Springs pool · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now we do know that the Palmerston pool is set
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: to close. There is going to be that renovation which
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: is expected to last about fourteen months. Good news once
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: it reopens, but it is going to leave a number
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: of swimmers well without somewhere to swim in the rural area.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: We know the rural area already doesn't have a pool
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: that's accessible, but then obviously in Palmerston also and so
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: there have been calls over the last last few days
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: for the pool at Howard Springs to be utilized to
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: enable some of those swimmers to be able to access
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: that twenty five meter pool and be able to continue
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: to train. Now joining me on the line to talk
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: a little bit more about this from his perspective is
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: the Palmerston Swimming Pool coach Daniel Gurlac. Good morning to you, Daniel.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katy.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: Now, Daniel, just talk us through what the situation is
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: at the moment from your perspective as someone who obviously
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: would ordinarily be coaching out at the pool in Palmerston. Yes, so, like.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Everybody else, we're pretty excited about the work that the
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: farmer City Council has put in place and excited for
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: the renovations but as you mentioned, it leads us with
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: a challenge over the next fourteen months in what we
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: do to continue to help continue helping our members as
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: there are a few events they've got coming up over
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: the next twelve months particularly, and yeah, we're just looking
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: for an opportunity to hopefully be able to continue providing access.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: So Daniel, how many swimmers have you have you got
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: at the moment and what events are coming up that
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: they really need to be able to keep training for.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: But there's a few dozens of individuals and families involved
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: in the club at the moment who were participating in
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: different parts of our programs. The big stuff that we've
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: got coming up, we've got we've got our usual competitions
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: that's happened throughout the year. But the big one that's
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: coming up is we've got a group of individuals selected
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: to anticipate on the in the National Special Olympics, which
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: would be held in lawn Test and later this year.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: Oh that sounds wonderful. And so Daniel, at this point
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: in time, once the Palmeston Pool closed, what are those
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: what are those athletes going to have to do?
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: We're not sure. Look at a big challenge is the
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Council has been working hard at this project for some
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: time and these big projects don't happen instantly, and we're
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: not sure what we're going to be able to do.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: We're just looking for waters to get into and look
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: if if there's any good solutions that anybody can sugg yes,
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: we're more than happy to take advantage well and try
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: to continue on.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah. And one of those solutions that the COLP is
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: looking at the opposition, or that they would like to
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: see happen is is people to be able to utilize
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: the pool out at Howard Springs. Would that be a
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: good option from your perspective.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: Look, anything that twenty five meters is a great option
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: for us. Obviously, the location is fairly accessible in terms
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: of its position within the Greater Darwin Framework and Parmerstan
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: So yeah, look, if that pool is accessible, it would
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: be it'd be fantastic and the other great if somebody
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: was able to do that. We're not aware of all
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: the intricacies of the issue, but yeah, it sounds like
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: a great suggestion if it could come to fruition.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Well, you know, I guess at the end of
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: the day, if the pool is being maintained and it's
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: maintained at the taxpayer's expense. If it is something that
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: could be a solution, particularly for the kids that are
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: training and you know, kids and adults that are training
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: and those that are going away this for this big
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: of d then it could only be a good thing.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely absolutely.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: Now the other point I guess that a lot of
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: people listening may not realize, but I had wondered and
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: sort of sort of came to my attention a bit
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: earlier in the week, is it's not just the Palmerston
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: pool that's going to be getting renovated over the next
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: fourteen months, but of course the Casarina pool is going
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: through their upgrade too. So we are talking about quite
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: a few swimmers and whether it's social swimmers or club
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: swimmers or learn to swim swimmers, water polo, all sorts
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: of different sports that aren't going to have access to
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: their usual pools. So we really that demand is going
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: to be quite great.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, there's some clubs. Although we're quite organized and
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: quite vocal about our needs, we're just one wheel in
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: the clog. Water is a huge part of our culture,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: particularly up here. As we get towards the build up
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: and yeah, there's definitely going to be a need for
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: more water.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: Well, Daniel, we'll continue talking about the issue. Do keep
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: us up to date if you get if you have
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: any update on your swimmers and where they're going to
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: be able to swim. But all the best as well
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: to the swimmers going away for that very special event.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Thanks Datie, you'll pass on you're well wishes.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Good on you. Thank you, thanks for your time this morning.