The looming closure of a much-loved swimming pool has become the focal point in the debate over the future of the former Griffith University Mount Gravatt campus.
The 42-hectare site, perched in Toohey Forest near the summit of Mount Gravatt Mountain, was vacated earlier this year as the university consolidated operations at its Nathan campus and prepared for its new Brisbane City base.
The campus still contains student dormitories, lecture halls, an auditorium, Yarranlea Primary School, tennis courts, and the Mount Gravatt Aquatic and Fitness Centre.
It is the aquatic centre that has drawn the most urgent attention. Unless a new operator is secured, the pool is set to close at the end of 2025 when Griffith’s lease expires, leaving the community without a key facility. Nearly 1000 people have already signed a petition via Change.org calling on Queensland to step in and ensure the pool’s survival.
The petition highlights the role the pool has played for decades, not just as a fitness venue but as a hub for community life. Generations of local children have learned to swim there, while schools have relied on its waters for swimming carnivals. Residents say the centre has promoted healthy lifestyles and provided a vital meeting place that fosters community spirit.
Its closure would affect both the families who rely on it and the staff who live locally, with no immediate alternatives in the area. Petition organisers argue that the loss of the facility would disrupt school programs and swimming education while stripping the community of an important social and recreational hub.
The wider campus remains in limbo, with speculation over whether it could be repurposed for housing, education facilities, or commercial development. Plans to convert the former student accommodation into emergency housing were abandoned in 2022 due to bushfire risks and prohibitive upgrade costs, despite millions already spent on partial works.
Yarranlea Primary School, located within the site, has also flagged interest in expanding into unused spaces to cater for growing enrolments. Urban researchers have suggested the land could be suitable for a new selective high school or academy, while others argue that some cleared areas could be redeveloped for high-density housing or even returned to bushland.
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For now, however, the pool remains at the heart of the discussion. Local residents are urging the state government to act quickly, warning that its closure would be a major blow to community wellbeing.
Published 5-September-2025