At Tuesday's Cabonne Council meeting, councillor Paul Mullins said he was aware of several complaints from residents about the introduction of lanes at the pool and asked whether lane ropes needed to be permanent fixtures.

"With the installation of three ropes down the middle of the pool, they felt the pool had been taken from them in favour of a small, elite set of swimmers, that is those who wish to swim laps," he said.

"They say the ropes go against those who wish to walk across the pool at a depth to suit them, which is important to people... as exercise and rehabilitation."

Lifeguarding Services Australia took over the contract in September and opened three weeks ago - Molong resident Bruce Stewart ran the pool for the previous six years.

Chief executive officer Stan Wall said lanes one, four, five and six were generally reserved for recreational use, with lanes two and three set aside for lap swimming, but the arrangement could change depending on needs.

"We've had three people lodge complaints about the swimming lanes and three people tell us they like it," he said.

Mr Wall said the lane allocation came down to safety.

"If we have an open body of water, as opposed to lanes, there's nothing to grab onto and there's higher risk of something occurring," he said.

"I can't have someone come to the pool and follow the lap lines and bump into someone who wants to walk sideways because that's where they want to walk."

The contractor runs five pools across the state, including Forbes, and Mr Wall said it would continue to work with the council on the best way to meet users' needs.