General News
2 August, 2026
Wading through 1000 pages
A FIERCE battle to save the Babinda swimming pool has reached another stage after the Babinda Taskforce secured more than 1000 pages of council records following a Right to Information (RTI) request.
The 56-year-old pool – originally constructed and funded by the local community – is currently the subject of a strong campaign to save it from permanent closure.
Tensions escalated sharply at the end of 2025 when Cairns Regional Council publicised its plans to retire the aging facility within the next one to two years under a draft ‘aquatic strategy’ – which singles out Babinda’s pool for closure but proposes keeping all other council pools in its network.
The community quickly pointed to neglected maintenance and declining upkeep in the case of Babinda pool.
Council has continually said no decision has been made yet on Babinda pool’s retirement and its future is not likely to be decided until later this year.
Under the council strategy, local residents and schoolchildren would be forced to travel significantly further – such as to Gordonvale – for swimming facilities, with funds saved potentially to be redirected toward upgrades for Babinda’s ANZAC Park.
The save the pool campaign has been anchored by a detailed submission from the taskforce, which also demanded transparency over how the pool has been managed and funded since 2019.
Following an RTI application validated by council on April 21, council formally decided to release the documents on 25 June.
The extensive paper trail was then made accessible via an electronic link earlier this month, but not before the Taskforce had to pay a $930.80 “processing fee” to council.
Of the requested files, council granted full or partial access to some documents – but others pertaining to tender and contract arrangements were refused entirely, with council advising the taskforce that those files contained information “communicated in confidence.”
While the released cache includes maintenance logs, engineering assessments and asset registers, taskforce members expressed frustration over missing key strategic planning documents.
A spokeswoman for the Babinda Taskforce told The Observer that, while the group welcomed receiving the maintenance records and structural assessments, they were “very disappointed” by the omission of the scope of works for council’s draft aquatics facilities strategy.
The taskforce noted that tender and contract documents typically outline the terms of reference that shape which operational options a broader strategy considers – information vital to understanding why closure is being pushed for instead of refurbishment.
Many in the community including the taskforce continue to strongly argue that losing the local pool would strip Babinda of a vital health, social and educational asset – and place unnecessary travel burdens on families and local schools.
The group maintains that proper historical investment and routine maintenance could have extended the life of the facility.
With over 1000 pages now in hand, Taskforce officers face a daunting review process.
The group has confirmed it expects analysing the massive volume of technical data, financial spreadsheets and maintenance logs will take time, but says the public can be assured that the work will be done as quickly as possible.
The findings from the RTI documents are expected to form the backbone of the Taskforce’s ongoing campaign as they prepare to challenge the council’s closure timeline and push for the pool’s long-term retention and potential revitalisation.
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