General News
7 March, 2026
Pool costs soar to $3m-plus
CAIRNS Regional Council has created more questions than answers over its day-to-day expenditure on Babinda pool after the community queried the amount of money which council says goes into maintenance and repairs.
Babinda residents, including the local community association, are campaigning to save and improve the pool, after council released a document at the end of 2025 saying the facility was close to ‘end of life’ and could be retired as soon as this year.
Public submissions on its future are open until April 30.
Local residents and the Babinda and District Community Association asked for a full breakdown of the annual $279,000 council has confirmed it pays for the upkeep of the pool, as well as breakdowns of how money was spent in past years.
After taking away $28,000 from that figure, which council says is for chemicals, the running costs amount to $688 per day over the full 365 days of a year.
But Babinda pool shuts for at least three months of the year over winter, and is not open on weekends and public holidays, which means that amount is about $1335 for each day it is open.
The Observer asked council for a full breakdown of the $279,000 per year, but received little detail about the expenditure, only that around $28,000 per year from that amount is allocated to pool chemicals.
A council spokesman said “the $279,000 figure referenced publicly relates specifically to the operational and maintenance subsidy provided to the lessee each year.”
“Of that subsidy amount, approximately $251,000 supports day-to-day operations and maintenance, while around $28,000 is allocated to pool chemicals to maintain strict health and safety compliance standards,” he said.
The pool’s lessee is Bajada Pty Ltd (trading as Marlin Coast Swimming and Fitness), which employs at least one person at the pool and has advertised for more staff.
The Observer also asked about maintenance costs over the past 10 years.
“Over the past decade, total maintenance expenditure at the pool has exceeded $3 million. This figure incorporates more than $510,000 directed towards capital works to ensure the facility remains safe, functional and accessible to the community,” the spokesman said.
“Maintenance and renewal investment at the Babinda pool is comparable to funding provided to other public swimming facilities across the region.”
But like former Babinda pool swimming teacher Carly Francis said in a recent post, others in the community would also be left wondering what exactly that money has been spent on over the years.
“Can the lessee provide detailed itemised records showing where maintenance costs have been spent at the Babinda Aquatic centre?” Ms Francis asked.
“Where has that $279,000 gone? If it can’t be produced, then who is at fault?”
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