On December 1, 2023,  it was alleged that a member of the public deliberately and indecently exposed themselves to a group of up to 30 students from Hazelbrook Public School, who were using the change rooms at Lawson Swim Centre, after participating in the Swim Scheme program.

This alleged incident has highlighted a significant security fault in the swim centre’s operations, which the council so far has refused to address, fearing disruptions. We understand the importance of smoothly running operations, but the safety of our children must always be paramount.

In Australia, 1 in 5 children are a victim of sexual assault (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2017). The Blue Mountains City Council must take all precautions to ensure our community centres, such as the Lawson Swim Centre, Glenbrook Swim Centre, Springwood Swim Centre, Katoomba Swim Centre and Blackheath Swim Centre, remain safe havens for our children. These alarming statistics point to a broader societal issue that underscores the need for greater security measures at public facilities utilised by children.

We are specifically demanding that the change rooms at all Blue Mountains swim centres be closed to the public for a period of ten minutes while our children are using them during the Swim Scheme program. This modest adjustment will go a long way towards ensuring that opportunists are prevented from accessing our children when they participate in the Swim Scheme program. We implore the Blue Mountains City Council to take this alleged incident seriously, act swiftly and prioritise the safety of our young ones.

Please sign this petition to show the Blue Mountains City Council that we won't stand by while the safety of our children is compromised at Blue Mountains swim centres.