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MEDIA RELEASES AQUATIC AND LEISURE CENTRE FOR TAMWORTH WILL BENEFIT DISTRICT Tamworth & District Aquatic Committee met on Tuesday night to discuss progress on the proposal to construct a purpose built facility that will cater for aquatic and leisure activities in Tamworth. Independent candidate for the electorate of Tamworth Peter Draper attended the meeting, and has given his support to the concept. When Mr Draper was Regional Manager for Hazelton Airlines, he devised a fundraising scheme that was approved by the Hazelton Board of Directors whereby Hazelton paid a $5 donation to the TADAC committee for every passenger using the airline from Tamworth. This initiative increased passenger numbers for the airline due to very strong support from the local community, and raised over $80,000, which was used to heat Scully Park pool. "I first realised the importance of having a full sized heated swimming pool in Tamworth when I wanted my then 4 year old son to learn how to swim," said Mr Draper. "When I enrolled Ben in swimming lessons at Scully Park pool in February, the water was so cold that after the first lesson he did not want to go back." "As we live on a property that has the Peel River as a boundary, teaching Ben how to swim was a priority for Sharon and myself. Despite the best supervision, you can never be sure when a child may find themselves in a situation where knowing how to swim may be the difference between a stressful but happy outcome, or attending a totally unnecessary funeral." "Far too many children drown in regional communities, and if children do not enjoy learning how to swim because of the water temperature, they will be like my son and not want to learn," Mr Draper said. "A purpose built Aquatic and Leisure Centre would offer a great deal to the entire district," commented Mr Draper. "This area has traditionally been a centre of excellence for Water Polo, and apart from that sport, there are many talented children who choose swimming as their main recreational activity, and their parents have to drive them to Armidale or Gunnedah to train during the winter months." "A facility that offers an enclosed warm water pool, built to the specifications necessary to cater for Water Polo throughout the year, as well as provide for school swimming requirements and the many leisure users would be a wonderful asset for Tamworth," Mr Draper pointed out. "One only has to look at the facilities Gunnedah has provided to realise that a progressive community deserves progressive facilities." "I applaud Tamworth City Councils vision in exploring this opportunity further, and look forward to working closely with Council to bring it into reality," Mr Draper concluded. |