Community
18 March, 2026
Dive-ided: town's petition to keep beloved diving board
The final stage of the Northern Grampians Shire Council’s $2.57 million redevelopment, includes structural repairs, resurfacing and a new ramp for accessibility - and the removal of the large diving board.
PAUL McIntyre has fond memories of his time at the St Arnaud swimming pool, the line for the tall diving board snaked around the water.
But these are times his children will miss out on if the new redevelopments take that board away.
And it turns out, at least 235 other people share the same sentiment.
“With everything else going on around town, farmers at risk of losing their land and everything, it’s such a minor issue,” Mr McIntyre said.
“But then I put this petition out there and the response was overwhelming.
“There’s so many people that have the same memories and we can’t let it die.”
The final stage of the Northern Grampians Shire Council’s $2.57 million redevelopment, includes structural repairs, resurfacing and a new ramp for accessibility - and the removal of the large diving board.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said she knew this decision would be upsetting.
“Unfortunately, the three-metre diving board will no longer be refurbished during the project as the pool’s depth does not meet Life Saving Victoria’s diving safety guidelines,” she said.
“The one-metre diving board does meet the guidelines and will be refurbished as planned. We know this might be disappointing for some patrons, however safety is our primary concern, and the decision is out of our hands.”
Mr McIntyre said he understood the concerns, but there could be other steps before simply removing it.
“Rather than removing the diving board entirely, there is a sensible compromise,” he said.
“Lowering the board from three metres to 2.5 metres could help address safety compliance requirements while still preserving the feature that generations of locals have enjoyed.”
“For many of us who grew up in St Arnaud, it wasn’t just a diving board, it was a rite of passage and a place where friendships and lifelong memories were made.”
There were other concerns about where kids would go without facilities like this.
“Many teens are struggling to find things around town to do and I know if this happened when I was that age, I would go out and find a river to dive into,” Mr Mc-Intyre said. “Wouldn’t we rather kids swim somewhere safely and keep them off the streets?”
Residents from neighbouring towns shared the sadness online. “They removed the one at Donald a few years ago and my kids and grandies miss it,” Joan Hardingham said.
Northern Grampians Shire Council was contacted for further comment.
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