Tyrolean mayor:

“Pool package won’t help us with new builds”

With the state's pool package, swimming fun should continue in the municipalities.(Bild: Freizeitticket/Telfer Bad)

As reported, the state of Tyrol is providing grants of 45% of the construction costs for new swimming pools in the new pool package. Unfortunately, this is not enough for the mayors of the municipalities concerned.

The state of Tyrol's swimming pool package is intended to lead the pools into a stable future. This is also the case in Axams, Wörgl and Imst. New swimming pools are being planned there. However, the mayors of the respective towns agree that the funding announced is not enough.

Axams hopes for more money 
The pool package provides for a state subsidy of 45 percent of the construction costs for a new pool. Although this sum may seem decent on paper, it still poses challenges for the municipalities. This is because around 30 million euros are needed to build the new indoor pool in Axams. The pool fund would provide 13 million euros for this project. According to Mayor Thomas Suitner, however, funding of at least 20 million is required to make the new building possible.

With these conditions, it will be impossible to build a new regional pool in the lowlands. The region is missing out on a huge opportunity.

Michael Riedhart, Bürgermeister von Wörgl

Criticism of watering can funding
The situation is similar in Unterland: Wörgl has already submitted several options for a new regional pool to the state. In order to build this, it needs around 70 percent of the costs to be covered. The mayor of Wörgl, Michael Riedhart, speaks of "watering can subsidies": The money is being distributed across the state, "leaving nothing for larger investments".

Ongoing operations not necessarily secured 
Imst is also open to the idea of building an indoor pool. The municipality tried to build one back in 2015. Now the project has once again failed due to the surrounding municipalities. Imst is reliant on the support of neighboring towns after major investments such as the one in the new mountain railroad. "However, they are not prepared to invest in a swimming pool on a permanent basis," says Imst mayor Stefan Weirather (VP).

"Operators happy with basic amounts"
Once the swimming pool is up and running, its ongoing operation must also be financed. The pool fund provides around 250,000 euros in funding per year for each of the 25 indoor pools in Tyrol. However, the Axam swimming pool, for example, would need up to 400,000 euros a year to keep it running. The rest would have to be borne by the municipality. "In any case, the operators are happy about the basic amounts for financing," emphasizes WK swimming pool spokesperson Ulrich Mayerhofer.  

Lorenz Kanzian/Kronen Zeitung