NSW Nationals Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders and Education Minister Sarah Mitchell have visited Yawarra Community School to celebrate the opening of its hydrotherapy pool and carpark, the third and final stage of the school build.
Yawarra Community School, named after the Wiradjuri word for ‘care’ or ‘to take care or watch’, opened in 2019 and caters for up to 40 special needs students from K-12. The school supports these students via personalised learning, specialist services such as speech and occupational therapists and social benefits.
As well as the new hydrotherapy pool, which has an accessible access ramp and hoist to assist with pool entry and heating installed under the tiles, the school includes four state-of-the-art classrooms, a gym and special program facilities.
Mr Saunders said the new pool will benefit the broader community.
“There is limited access to hydrotherapy pools in the region and the school has plans to deliver programs that support students of the school, other schools in the area and the wider community,” Mr Saunders said.
“This is a project that came about thanks to amazing support and resilience from the community, so it is great that the wider community will benefit from it.
“The construction of the pool project also supported the local economy, with the contractor hiring 53 local tradespersons and sourcing local building materials wherever possible.
The NSW Nationals in the state government are investing $6.7 billion over four years to deliver more than 190 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.
Ms Mitchell said she was pleased to mark the opening of the $4 million pool.
“Hydrotherapy pools can deliver a range of health benefits, particularly for children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy and motor neuron disorders, offering a way to achieve their therapeutic goals while having fun,” she said.