Wingecarribee Shire is home to four public aquatic facilities: Bowral Pool, Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre, Bundanoon Pool, and the now-closed Mittagong Pool.

Mittagong Pool is located in a high flood-risk zone. It has flooded multiple times and simply can’t be rebuilt safely or cost-effectively. It sits directly on top of the Nattai River and floods in a 5-year rain event - that's considered frequent in engineering terms. and it’s already been inundated in 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Council explored options to elevate the pool, divert the creek, or build a new structure, but all were ruled out due to excessive cost, environmental impact, or engineering limitations. The insurance excess is $100,000 per flood event, and even minor flooding leads to weeks of closure and significant clean-up costs.

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council - Wednesday 21 May 2025 it was resolved that Council pursue a master plan for the rewilding of the Mittagong Pool site as a future natural swimming area with delivery subject to external funding. This would mean transforming the site into a natural swimming and recreation area, allowing it to stay open and accessible in a new, nature-based way.