A recommendation was made at Thursday’s meeting that council contribute an amount of money to maximise the chance of receiving the funding.

Two Moree Amateur Swimming Club members, Joshua Elbourne and Elka Devney, spoke at the meeting, informing council why they should provide the funds.

Josh introduced himself to councillors and spoke about the many benefits the shading would provide for the MAAC.

“On hot days the cement gets really hot and there is nowhere to go to get out of it. I’ve been to other town pools and the MAAC is the best I’ve seen,” he said.

Elka said to host swimming carnivals there had to be adequate shading for those swimming and watching.

“When our coaches are trying to improve our diving it makes it hard because the cement gets so hot and there is nowhere else to stand,” she said.

Members of the Moree Swimming Fund group, including the amateur swimming club, Diggers, triathlon clubs and non-swimming club residents, recently teamed up to host an Australia Day swim-a-thon raising money for shading of the Olympic pool.

The event raised over $16,000 and the clubs decided to ask the council to pitch in and help to get the shading.

Mother and Tourism Moree CEO, Tammy Elbourne, spoke after the swimmers highlighting a recently attended swimming carnival in Armidale.

“Three weeks ago we went to Armidale for the PSSA swimming carnival. 

“Their motels were booked out, restaurants filled and their pool was showcased. There is no doubt we have the best swimming pool in the region and shade can take it to its full potential,” she said.

Mrs Elbourne commended coach, swimmer and mother Angela Walker on her efforts to organise and help run the swim-a-thon.

“We thought rather than just ask council, the club would get up and raise some funds to work together to get funding,” she said.

The council voted and agreed to contribute $20,000 to the Moree Swimmers’ Fund Committee.

This means they would be eligible for the maximum amount of grant funding available pursuant to a facilities infrastructure grant from Sport and Recreation.

This funding would be used to meet the cost associated with the erection of permanent shading across the western end of the Olympic pool at the MAAC.

Moree Plains Shire Council mayor, Katrina Humphries, was proud to see the future leaders of the town at the council meeting.

“They could have just come to council and asked without doing anything but instead they decided to raise funds to contribute,” she said.

She told Josh and Elka that all who participated in the swim-a-thon would be able to look at the shading in years to come and think back to that day.

“You will be able to tell your children that you were a part of getting the shade over the Olympic pool and you’ll say how many laps you had to swim and how worth it, it all was.”