Vandals shut pool

By Melissa Meehan
HEALESVILLE residents have been forced to travel as far as Lilydale and Yarra Junction for a dip after the Healesville Pool was forced to close due to vandalism earlier this month.
Mirrors in the men’s change rooms were broken and pieces of the mirror were thrown in the pool in an attack that many believe was carried out by local youths.
Sanitary bins from the women’s toilets were also found in the pool.
Local locksmith Brad Hannaford said he was disgusted by the vandalism.
“It looks like they jumped the fence and have caused as much damage as they could,” Mr Hannaford said.
“It’s just disappointing that a group of people can cause so much destruction and stop other families in the area from using the pool.”
Mr Hannaford said that he had hoped to bring his children down to the pool.
“The guys at the pool had to turn many families away, they then had to travel as far as Lilydale. It’s just not right,” Mr Hannaford said.
Healesville police warned that further attacks on the pool would eventually force the pool to close its doors for good because the cost of getting the pool back to working condition often outweighed the profits made by entry fees.
Senior Constable Chris Hickey said that the police would increase patrols around the pool and had spoken to pool owners about increasing security measures.
“Vandalism in the town has decreased over the last few years which is great but there has been an increased number of incidents at the pool which is disappointing,” he said.
Staff spent two days sanitising the pool and removing the broken glass before the pool was reopened.