WHAT began as an innocent question on Facebook on December 30, as to why the six Southern Grampians Shire Council (SGSC) outdoor pools were not open more often, especially given the warmer weather, has triggered a tsunami of online commentary in recent weeks, some heated.

In response to the queries, the Southern Grampians Shire Council (SGSC) asserted that there was a dire shortage of lifeguards and that they only had 34 of the 63 lifeguards needed to keep the outdoor pools open. The six outdoor pools include Hamilton, Balmoral, Coleraine, Dunkeld, Glenthompson and Penshurst.