My name is Andrew and I'm the owner of Make A Splash Swim School, a homebased swim school that has been operating in Yarrawarrah since 2020. Over this time I have had the pleasure of helping hundreds of children across the Sutherland shire gain essential water safety skills. 

Recently, the Sutherland Council made a decision to order the closure of my swim school due to a single noise complaint from a neighbour. This decision came as a shock as I have been operating without any issues since  starting the business almost four years ago. I'm only the teacher, I teach a maximum of two children at anyone time and only operate classes between 8am and 6pm.

In order to appeal this decision I spent almost $10,000 commissioning independent reports to demonstrate the business is not impacting the local environment, including an acoustic sound assessment which revealed the noise levels to be within an acceptable for the local environment and a parking survey which has shown there to be no issues with parking in my street. In my appeal I also included a number of letters of support from my other immediate neighbours and swim school parents. Despite all the evidence, the Council has still determined my business should close. 

My swim school plays an essential role in teaching children vital life-saving skills. According to Royal Life Saving Society Australia, drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional injury death in Australian children aged 0-4 years (Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report 2020). There is also a huge demand for swimming lessons across the Shire but particularly in the Engadine / Heathcote area with my business being one of only three that operate in the vicinity and many including myself who have an extensive waitlist. 

I urge Sutherland Council to reconsider their decision and allow me to continue serving the local community. The closure will not only affect my family's livelihood but also hundreds of families who rely on my services

Please sign this petition if you want to help my business literally 'stay afloat.'