Thursday, December 10, 2009

Carnegie Pool - the future is unwritten?

from the front page of the Glen Eira News August 2006

"During the community consultation it was clear that the community favoured the retention of both the Carnegie and East Bentleigh swim centres and although Council has not formed any pre-determined view, its preference is to retain aquatic facilities at both Carnegie and East Bentleigh"

One of the issues I feel needs to be resolved in Glen Eira is the uncertain future of the Carnegie Pool.

At present councils only committment is it provide funding ( at least 210k this year ) to keep it open while GESAC is being built down at Bentleigh .

What happens after that? It will either be closed or updated.

In last years election I campaigned strongly for a new modern seasonal facility that would compliment Bentleigh.

In the new year I will be pressing for council to plan for this future.

9 comments:

  1. From Jim Magee
    I am with you all the way Neil. Carnegie Pool, will stay.

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  2. Neil, I want to bring to the attention of residents the continued disingenous way in which this council disseminates its information. The agenda items for next week's council meeting include the incamera consideration of pavilion and grandstand for Duncan McKinnon - valued at $700,000. What this does not make clear is that this cost is only for design, not for the construction of this facility. The public needs to know that this amount of money is being spent on 'design' and what the ultimate cost (ie 5 to 7 million) will represent for the community. Will this mean more rate increases? Will this mean that sport again wins out and other services such as kindergartens, aged, etc. are left to disintegrate? Councillors must insist that all public documents represent and reflect REALITY rather than subterfuge and deceit.

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  3. Well good luck with that Neil. I think you will have a battle.
    The scenario I foresee is that once GESAC is open attendances at Carnegie will drop significantly. Without any upgrade of the facilities the condition of the Carnegie centre will deteriorate. Maybe it will have to be closed now and then for repairs. Then we'll be told there are serious problems with leakage, the plant, etc and the cost of keeping it open is prohibitive. We will be told that the community prefers to use GESAC and Carnegie is no longer viable.
    Thus the fate of Carnegie is shifted onto the community.
    The process will be staged - much as the progress toward developing GESAC has been. You may recall that council made staged decisions about GESAC - approval of plans without actually committing to actual construction. The purpose was to appear financially responsible and minimise any public criticism (e.g. we haven't made a decision yet)

    I have heard (not sure where but I think it came from council) that GESAC will attract a certain proportion (30%?) of customers of Waves - but no estimate of the impact on attendances at the Carnegie pool. I would have thought if it was possible to estimate the impact on Waves, the same could be done for Carnegie - but I suspect that's something we'd rather not publicise.
    I wish you luck - and I'd suggest that the sooner the issue is addresed the better.

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  4. thanks Glenhuntly for your comments- I agree that this needs to be resolved soon.

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  5. Like everything Neil, this issue goes to the heart of planning and the piecemeal approach that has been adopted by this council for the past decade. What is desperately needed is real strategic planning that incorporates all major policies - health, open space, activity centres, etc. Thus far it has all been fragmented, distorted, and non community driven. Get back to the basics - provide comprehensive structure plans that include direct community input.

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  6. It's good to see one councillor go on record as to were they stand on the Carnegie pool.

    What is position of our other two Rosstown ward councillors.

    Is it all the way with the CEO slash & burn mentality. Or work to keep the pool as the residents wish.

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  7. Did you know that when Waves was built the then Moorrabbin Council was going to close East Boundary Pool.Carnegie must be updated and will not lose custom as it is easier to get to than GESAC. What we need to fight for is the retention of the Maple St Rec Centre.

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  8. By the way hats off to Jim Magee, for sticking to his principals and showing support for the Carnegie pool.

    I fear you couldn't say the same thing about Tang or Esakoff. The great sell out duo waiting in the wings.

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  9. The header to this latest post - 'the future is unwritten' may be unconscious irony. I hope it is! If it's not, then councillors simply do not understand their role and their obligations. One year in the job is enough for the community to judge performance. Thus far (apart from a few minor adjustments) I have to say that councillors have failed to distinguish themselves. Their tasks of long range planning, any real strategic vision, has failed to materialise. The pool is the most telling example of this. Did you (as a group) really think that $210,000 would be enough? Did you consider what was likely to occur five years down the track? Did you engage the community in this 'budget' decision in any real and meaningful way? Glen Huntly is dead right - 'staged decisions' are nothing more than staging - the pretense of doing something, whilst in reality doing nothing. Apart from Lobo, my grade thus far is a definite FAIL.

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