Heatwave policy sets new trigger for free pool days in Junee

FREE pool days could be back in play in Junee next summer, but only if extreme heat lingers long enough to trigger Council’s new formal heatwave policy.

The draft Extreme Heatwave Policy – Public Facilities was endorsed for 28 days of public exhibition at Council’s March 17 ordinary meeting, setting out for the first time how Junee Shire Council may respond to prolonged periods of extreme heat.

The move comes just months after Junee sweltered through seven straight days above 40 degrees without Council waiving pool entry fees.

Instead, while neighbouring councils opened their pools for free, Junee Shire Council continued charging at the door while opening the Athenium Theatre as an air-conditioned space and encouraging locals to visit the library.

Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre | Photo: Facebook/Junee Shire Council

Free pool days were a typical feature of Junee summers during the major heat events of 2019 and 2020.

Council waived entry fees to the Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre for 10 straight days from January 19 to January 28, 2019, after five consecutive days of temperatures between 42 and 45 degrees, before later shifting to a forecast-based model.

In December 2019, Council announced pool entry would be free after 10am on any day the Bureau of Meteorology forecast a maximum of 41 degrees or above, with the forecast reviewed daily.

That approach went on to be activated about a dozen times between late 2019 and early 2021.

The new draft policy, however, takes a markedly different approach.

NEW TRIGGER POINT

Council’s report states the policy is intended to apply to “prolonged periods of extreme heat rather than a single isolated hot day”, and says one of its key strengths is that activation is based on “actual recorded temperatures, not forecast temperatures alone”.

Under the draft, Council must wait until temperatures have exceeded 41 degrees Celsius for “two or more consecutive days” before activating the policy.

A single day above 41 degrees would only trigger activation in “exceptional local circumstances”, as determined by the General Manager.

That sets a higher bar than the forecast-based approach Junee previously used to waive pool fees.

If the trigger is met, the General Manager may consider and approve temporary response measures, taking into account staff safety, operational capacity, facility suitability and other local risk factors.

Those measures may include publishing heat-related information, extending access to suitable Council facilities, using some buildings as cooling spaces, and reducing or waiving fees at designated facilities such as the community swimming pool.

Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre | Photo: Facebook/Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre

But the draft policy does not guarantee automatic free entry.

Any decision would remain subject to operational assessment, with Council required to consider staffing, supervision, security, safety, accessibility, air-conditioning, drinking water, toilets, amenities, hygiene, capacity and the likely duration of the heat event before opening or extending access to any facility.

The policy also makes clear that nothing in it requires Council to open or continue operating a facility where doing so would create an unacceptable risk.

EXTREME HEAT RETURNS

The timing of the move is significant, coming just months after extreme summer heat returned across the region following several cooler years.

A record 19 days above 40 degrees Celsius were recorded at Wagga Airport in 2019, including 12 in January alone, before that number fell away sharply in later years.

No days above 40 were recorded at the site in 2022, 2023 or 2024, before the run of extreme heat returned over summer 2025-26, when 12 days above 40 were recorded, including seven straight days from January 25.

During that most recent heat event, neighbouring councils again moved to waive pool entry fees.

Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre | Photo: Facebook/Junee Recreation and Aquatic Centre

Wagga’s Oasis Aquatic Centre recorded more than 7,000 free entries across three days from January 7 to January 9, before waiving fees again for a further five straight days from January 26.

Temora Shire Council also announced free access to its community pool for four days from January 27 as a public health response to predicted heatwave conditions, saying the initiative was about helping the community “stay cool, safe and well during very hot weather”.

Griffith City Council also waived pool entry across multiple days in January.

POLICY LIMITS

Junee Shire Council says its new draft policy is designed to protect community health and wellbeing, maintain essential public services where practicable, and guide the management and possible activation of public facilities during extreme heat events.

It also states the policy “does not require Council to create new or ongoing services” beyond those that can be provided within available resources.

Junee Shire Council | © The Junee Bulletin

Financially, Council says the draft policy does not commit it to ongoing new spending, but acknowledges costs may arise if facilities need to stay open longer, extra staff or supervision are required, or admission charges are temporarily waived or reduced for places such as the pool.

Any such costs, the report says, would depend on the severity and duration of the heat event and would be considered through Council’s normal budget and operational planning processes.

In Temora, a report presented to Council’s February 19 ordinary meeting noted that its decision to waive entry fees for four days in January cost Council about $1,500 in revenue, but said that loss was partly offset by higher kiosk and waterslide takings.

“It is pleasing to note that both kiosk takings and waterslide fees for the period ($4,265) were well above the average for the previous two weeks ($2,589),” the report said.