About Us

The idea of a pool in Denmark has been alive for more than 30 years. In 1992, local resident Vera Allen left a bequest to help fund a future facility. That same year, the first community pool committee was formed and began surveying households, running displays, and organising fundraising events such as the Greens Pool Mile swim. By 2002, the group formally incorporated as DACCI, cementing its role as the community’s voice for an aquatic facility.

Through the 2000s, DACCI strengthened its membership and advocacy, representing around 16–20% of Denmark’s population. Volunteers continued fundraising, visited other regional aquatic centres, and lobbied Council to keep the project alive. In 2008, DACCI committed $12,000 towards commissioning a professional Needs Assessment.

In 2009, the Needs Assessment confirmed strong demand for an indoor aquatic facility. Council acknowledged the need and set aside funds for a Feasibility Study. DACCI served on the joint project team that guided the study, showing its willingness to work in partnership and contribute financially to due process.

Between 2011 and 2013, DACCI worked with design firms to create more affordable and flexible concepts, including a 25-metre multipurpose pool, a hydrotherapy pool, and a seasonal splash pad.

In 2013, Council required a binding referendum tied to an 11.45% immediate rate rise and up to nine years of payments before a pool might be delivered. Many residents found these terms unacceptable. The referendum went forward but was limited to ratepayers only, excluding other local electors.

Of the 3,848 ratepayers canvassed, 2,419 responded: 1,016 voted Yes and 1,396 voted No, while 1,429 did not vote. The project was shelved, despite strong underlying community support and widespread concern that the referendum had been designed to fail.

After the referendum, DACCI and its supporters continued to advocate for a pool. Attempts to secure State and Federal funding were unsuccessful, but local fundraising and membership growth kept the vision alive.

In 2019, Council signalled it was open to revisiting the project and formed a Pool Update Project team with DACCI and Shire officers. Despite delays caused by COVID-19 and staff turnover, a revised concept and financial modelling were completed in 2023 and presented to Council, giving a clearer picture of how the facility could be delivered.

In 2025, Council held a Special Meeting to review updated plans and a possible community poll. The meeting drew strong community support, with schools, health providers, and residents speaking in favour.

However, the officer’s report was narrow in scope. It did not fully reflect the health, wellbeing, equity, and economic benefits of an aquatic facility. It also misapplied planning guidelines by treating population thresholds as fixed, and overlooked the wider service area — including Youngs Siding, Bornholm, Redmond West, and Walpole — where the effective catchment is already much larger than the Shire’s estimate.

Guided by this report, Council resolved that planning would not begin until Denmark’s population reached 10,000, projected around 2045, and chose not to hold a poll.