By Mitchell Clarke
Backstroke is officially back on, as Cardinia Life was given the green light to reopen their public pools from Monday 1 June.
Swimmers soaked up the opportunity to dive back into some normalcy, with almost 100 patrons securing a spot to splash around on opening day.
Cardinia Leisure head of customer facilities Chris Banbury said the opening day had been a “huge success”.
“It is great to have people back in at Cardinia Life,” Mr Banbury said.
“Hopefully when more people see the safety measures that we have put in place, this number will increase and more of the community can get back to being active and healthy.”
The facility was able to reopen in a limited capacity following the State Government’s further easing of restrictions, which allowed 20 people to use public swimming pools at a time, from 11.59pm on 31 May.
Cardinia Life has since introduced a number of temporary changes including the restriction of three swimmers per lane during pre-booked one hour sessions.
A new online booking system has also been launched to facilitate demand.
The facility said that although “some things may be different right now,” the commitment to delivering a high-quality experience remained.
Group fitness classes, including aqua and swim lesson programs are currently not running, with the pools only being used for lap swimming and water-based rehabilitation.
Toilets are still available for use but change rooms remain off limits, while the stadium, gym and childcare also remain closed.
Cardinia Life memberships will continue to remain suspended during the initial re-opening period.
Outdoor pools at Pakenham, Garfield, Kooweerup and Emerald Lake Park have already closed for the season.
Meanwhile, the Pakenham Regional Tennis Centre is open for casual bookings between 6am and 11pm daily.
For more information on how to book a court or a spot in the pool, visit: www.cardinialeisure.com.au.
