AFTER much discussion spanning 20 years, plans are afoot for Mernda to get its own aquatic facility – but plenty of advocating and momentum will be needed, as co-funding is being sought by the City of Whittlesea following the August Council Meeting, while a community group has mixed feelings on the decision.
Council resolved to identify the best option out of five in its agenda, with a 50-metre pool costing $122 million in a two-storey building, a 25-metre pool in a two-storey building costing $105 million, a 25-metre pool and full-scale gym in a single storey building costing $85 million, a budgeted 25-metre pool and gym costing $65 million and no aquatic centre.
Ultimately, the $85 million option was centred upon by the City of Whittlesea – calling on pursuing a 50/50 split of the total project cost with the State and Federal Governments.
The Victorian Government has previously announced a $10 million funding commitment, but the City of Whittlesea says it is ‘significantly below the level of funding required to deliver the endorsed business case’.
Spokesperson for the Mernda Needs A Pool – No More Delays! action group Danielle McKenzie said while disappointing a 50-metre pool was not the preferred option, there was at least a plan going forward.
“We’re incredibly proud of what our campaign and the community have achieved. We’ve worked extremely hard to get this project firmly back on Council’s agenda and, after more than 20 years of talk, we’re thrilled that Council has finally publicly committed to delivering an aquatic centre and provided a pathway forward,” she said.
“However, there is disappointment that the current proposal is for a 25m pool, particularly when the City of Whittlesea still doesn’t have a single public 50m pool. That’s what we were pushing for because this isn’t just a pool for Mernda, it will ultimately service the broader northern region. We need to build for the population we’re going to have, not just the population we have today.
“Nonetheless, it’s fantastic that we finally have momentum and a commitment to move forward. We just want confidence that every reasonable avenue for delivering a 50m pool has been properly investigated before that option is ruled out.
“Council has now approved progressing the $85 million option, which includes a 25m pool. We were told the comparable option incorporating a 50m pool would cost around $122 million.
“The community deserves greater transparency around those figures. We would like to see the detailed costings. How were the estimates reached? How many estimates or quotes were obtained? What contingencies and allowances are included? Have alternative designs, architects, engineers, staging and value-engineering opportunities genuinely been explored?
“When you look at comparable facilities, it raises legitimate questions. For example, the new Mordi Aquatic Centre is a high-quality facility incorporating a 50m pool and extensive additional aquatic, health and fitness facilities, with an approved project budget of approximately $87.5 million. Mernda is also a clean development site.
“Council has now made the commitment, and we sincerely hope they fight just as hard to secure the funding needed to actually deliver it.
“But after more than 20 years, we finally have some real momentum. Build it once, build it right, and build it for the future.”
All councillors spoke on the motion last Tuesday night.
In moving the motion, Councillor Jarrod Lappin said a lot of thinking had been done to explore the best possible option.
“The last two months have been dedicated to exploring all options available to us. We have looked at different designs, different scales ranging from the full facility to a more modest aquatic centre, alternative delivery options, partnerships with the private sector and different levels of borrowing and the long-term effects it would have on our future financial ability as a council,” he said.
“The facility in this motion here is the best-case option. Not only from a cost perspective, but it’s also a reflection of community need that encompasses programs and facilities that serve all our residents, which is from hydrotherapy for our older residents, to Learn2Swim pools and lap swimming for younger and middle-aged residents.”
In response to calls for a 50-metre pool, Cr Blair Colwell said it was ‘not responsible’ to spend more money to ‘serve a small proportion of the community’.
“The difference is not insignificant. A 50-metre pool will require an additional $37 million in capital expenditure before we even consider the substantial outgoing operations and maintenance costs,” he said.
Cr Aidan McLindon said while it was humbling to say that a pool couldn’t be delivered to some community expectations, he praised the work of the officers.
“I think this is absolutely a necessity, it’s humbling and demeaning and belittling that we have to sometimes scale it down and explain to the residents that we simply do not have the money in the bank, and this is where the State Government need to step in,” he said.
“In five and 10 years, this will double the price. Get it done now, get the State Government to come on board. The officers have done a fantastic job of reaching that balance point of what we can prudently do to ensure the rates are not exorbitant, and we can still provide services which are necessary for our areas.”
Cr Martin Taylor was the only councillor to vote against the plan, saying he felt the funding target was achievable.
“I am not presently satisfied a funding target (of $42.5 million) is realistically achievable. The report identifies council funding reserves and borrowings as possible sources of council’s contribution,” he said.
“This is not an argument against Mernda or the aquatic infrastructure. It’s an argument for financial discipline, transparency and municipal-wide fairness, especially in a climate of escalating cost-of-living pressures that we’re all experiencing.
“Why are residents who will seldom or never use this facility in Thomastown, Lalor, Bundoora have reduced capacity to funds other services and infrastructure priorities that they require?”
Speaking for the plan, however, Cr Michael Labrador said a dollar amount was insignificant compared to the benefits.
“As a physio who takes my client to the pool, as a dad who takes his kids to the Learn2Swim centres and as a former swimming teacher, the net benefit of having our elderly people go to the gym, go to the pool and build up their strength and remain independent in the community, you cannot put a dollar amount on that,” he said.
“The net benefit of having kids learn how to swim, become capable, become healthy and be safe around water, you cannot put a dollar amount on that.”
Speaking last on the proposal, Mayor Cr Lawrie Cox said every option was under the microscope.
“There has been a lot of work put in this by the officers, in terms of the actions in exploring every possible variation of pool size, pool development, supporting infrastructure and it’s excellent work that’s been put in,” he said.
“Unfortunately, as has already been indicated, all of those options probably haven’t been exposed in a public way, but I can tell you from the Mayor’s perspective, every option has been explored by this Council fully.
“I make it very clear, if any State candidate, no matter who you stand for, wants to offer support of funding, we look forward to you making a genuine promise and opening the chequebook. We will not dismiss it.”
