Councillors decided to create a swimming club for category two lane access, meaning it would manage the allocation of lanes.

The entity would be affiliated with Swimming NSW, offering competitive swimming, social swimming, masters swimming and swim development.  

The existing clubs, the City of Orange Swim Club, Jets and the Orange District Swim Group, will now be relegated to category three.

Members of the existing clubs would be able to join the council-run club and the clubs would not be forced to disband.

The model has been used at Randwick and the report to councillors noted a history of conflict between City of Orange and Jets.

Councillor Ron Gander said he hoped the decision would put the focus on the children learning to compete.

“This matter takes the adults out of the equation and realising we’re representing the children,” he said.

“I really don’t care about the adults.”

Pool lane use now cut and dried as aquatic centre demand heats up over winter

Orange swimming clubs jostle for pool lane priority during winter

Councillor Glenn Taylor said the changes had been through repeated consultation and he wanted to see the swim clubs support them.

“We need the wisdom of Soloman to navigate these issues,” he said.

“We haven’t got enough lanes in the winter months but this is a way forward.”

A policy on the use of the aquatic centre will be placed on public exhibition.

Councillor Neil Jones said it had a number of provisions users should be aware of, including the requirement for guardians to supervise their children in the pool at all times, showering before they entered the pool and people with heart conditions or epilepsy to inform staff.

“I’m curious about how we’re going to enforce that,” he said.

Councillor Jason Hamling asked what was being done about the length of pool closures after children’s toilet accidents in the water.

Acting general manager Chris Devitt said independent consultants had looked at water quality.

“We can reduce that time significantly,” he said.

“We need to put it to the Department of Health because it’s their rules – we believe they’ve been overcautious.”