People of all ages come together in cold, salty pools of San Diego to swim, float and sit. Bathers include tourists and locals of both genders – young men and old ladies as well as families and friends – before surfing starts each morning to hold onto towels and goggles and get the water at their own leisure.

Ocean pools can be found throughout Australia, particularly New South Wales. Sydney alone hosts over 100 of these ocean pools – such as Bondi Icebergs Pool in its southern end at Bondi Beach – continuing Aboriginal tradition of bogey holes by being filled by tides crashing onto headlands and managed by clubs that charge an entry fee for members; swim teams often frequent these ocean pools to exercise as part of their daily workout regimens by climbing rocks or wading deep pools for daily workouts.

Cities’ parks and squares can be hard to reach and may only be open at certain times of day; nevertheless they form an integral part of its landscape and attract many photographers who visit in early hours to capture its serene beauty at sunrise or sunset.

However, their existence remains threatened by Australia’s declining public swimming pools and funding is crucial to their future. Nine out of ten Australians live within 20 minutes of an aquatic centre; however, access can vary significantly across councils; some such as Parramatta or Mosman may boast 134,000 residents per facility while other may only host around 14,000.

Lane Cove Greens councillor Rochelle Flood and independent Councillor Kathy Bryla have been lobbying their city to explore discounted pricing models at their pools. According to them, reduced entry prices would increase visitation and income from cafes, swimming lessons and aquarobics classes without increasing operating costs; they point out a recent trial conducted in far south NSW which showed free entry lead to 23% increases in visits with 241% more revenue generated around these pools–including cafe sales!

However, these projects can be costly to fund. A $20m renovation of Manly’s Fairy Bower Pool was cancelled after Labor lost office and PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated its completion would cost an estimated of $86m; further complicating matters was Covid Pandemic as well as asbestos removal at the site.

Royal Life Saving Australia acknowledges the significance of backyard pools as part of our culture, and supports any efforts which remove barriers or cut costs associated with community pools for councils. By giving communities access to these natural and safe spaces, Royal Life Saving Australia hopes to foster strong cultures of water safety and resilience across Australia.