The opponents of the closure of Wangaratta’s Yarrunga outdoor pool say they have not given up hope of saving the north-east Victorian facility.

The administrators of the Wangaratta council were shutting the pool and another one which they said were too expensive to maintain, and were pushing ahead with plans for a multimillion dollar aquatic centre and a splash pool.

The Save Yarrunga Pool Group warned it could take legal action to save the pool but it was still hoping to persuade the administrators to take another look at possible ways of retaining it.

Group spokeswoman Jenny Hart said the group was convinced the concerns over the cost of maintaining and repairing the pool were unjustified.

“If proper effort is put into this pool and it’s well programmed and it’s utilised year-round for various purposes other than just aquatic purposes, in the off-season as well, it can be a real potential asset for the community and we think it should be preserved,” she said.

She said it may have to resort to taking its case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal but it was still hoping the administrators would respond to constructive negotiations instead.

“We’ll keep our approach of trying to persuade the council that there are viable alternatives,” she said.

“There are so many other great examples out there in other shires where their outdoor pools have been success stories and we think, why not create that opportunity for Wangaratta?”