GYMPIE Regional Council may be warming to the idea of a hydrotherapy pool, possibly even within its new Gympie Aquatic Recreation Centre.

It has been a hot issue in more ways than one, with the council concerned about the likely cost of extra heating and the extra chlorination that might be needed because that same heat can tend to promote bacterial growth.

One of those keen on the idea is Moya Beck, who says hydrotherapy advocates welcome the council's new approach, even if it seems to be going over ground already covered by her Gympie Hydrotherapy Group.

She says the council has engaged survey firm, Otium Planning Group to research the idea, in what seems to be a new era of co-operation with the hydrotherapy group.

Otium describes itself as a group of "leisure planning, management and funding specialists."

It says the council and the hydrotherapy group are working together in "investigating the feasibility of a hydrotherapy pool for the region and developing a business case based on the findings."

It is starting the project with a survey of community members who "anticipate using a hydrotherapy pool, if developed in future."

And it has distributed a survey online to those it thinks might be interested.

Moya Beck says this may not be the best approach, given that many older people, including a big proportion of potential hydrotherapy clients, do not have such active email accounts and do not tend to use the internet as much as average. "So we're helping them," she says.

And she is supported by hydrotherapy group president Anita Femiano, who says the group wants hard copies made available.