DEAR News Of The Area,
IN response to Jake Little’s letter of 3 July (Port Macquarie NOTA, 3/7/2026) in which he calls for readers to name their top three community priorities for Port Macquarie, I offer one – a new aquatic centre.
I’ve been swimming at the Olympic pool in Port Macquarie since my early 40s which is 30-odd years now.
Because of regular swimming I have managed to stay away from back surgery.
I have seen managers like Paul Todd and later another whose name just escapes me (Michael perhaps?) and now the Y, all try their best to keep the facility looking good.
They do this well, but there is only so long that you can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
The facility is – like me – old and almost worn out.
My understanding is that Hastings Council has applied to the state government for funding but was unsuccessful. Could someone in the know advise the current state of play on this wonderful project for the future community of Port Macquarie and district?
The pool’s closed at the moment and the ocean lagoon at Shellies is 16 degrees; too cold to swim comfortably. So an ocean pool would be nice, but it’s not my priority. It would only cater for the few, not the many in our community.
So my priority is A New Aquatic Centre. It would be great to use it before I drop off the perch.
Regards,
Kevin Gallagher,
Port Macquarie.
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