Olinda Pool Update #7
For those that weren't at the council meeting held on the 8th of July where council voted unanimously in favour of engaging the greater Olinda community about what the future would look like at the Olinda Pool Site, this is my speech in support of the motion:
I also questioned Mr Varmalis regarding claims made by Mr Faul (Save the Olinda Group) that the pool had been running illegally for the last few years and the lack of maintenance up keep of the grounds.
Mr Varmalis was candid about the poor maintenance and recognised that more needed to be done to this pool and a more stringent inspection of the contractors who look after the pool.
Mr Varmalis stated that the pool had not been running illegally rather that the pool's chemical storage room needed to come up to today's standards.
Mr Faul claimed that 4 councillors didn't support the reopening of the pool because they voted against it at the last council meeting. I can say that I did vote against that motion at that time, as I felt it was delaying the engagement process and ultimately looking at how we can replace/rejunvenate this space. I do support the community in having a pool/recreation area and this engagement process will ultimately and formally provide council with what the whole of the Olinda community wants.
OLINDA POOL
Councillor’s, as the ward councillor I have
been involved in many discussions over the last year about the pool’s future
both with Council Officers and the Olinda Community.
There has been a lot of discussion around
what should we (council) do with regards to pool? Should we patch it up? Should
we close it? Should we propose something better?
I’d like to acknowledge the work Mr Varmalis’s
team has done in providing information about the pool’s future, Mr Varmalis’s
and his team are fully aware of the frustrations and pressure applied from both
us as councillors and the Olinda community.
Can I also acknowledge the community group
“Save the Olinda Pool” for voicing their concerns, passions and feelings about
how much this pool means to them.
This pool is not just a pool, for any of us
who live or have lived in small communities understands how much a pool means
to our social and physical well being.
Having lived in a VERY remote community as
a young teenager I couldn’t wait to go to the pool after school, on weekends
and Holidays. It was a source of “freedom” and place to “meet” and essentially
“be a kid”!
I feel the passion and sense of worth this
pool has to many who live in the hills through reading comments via facebook,
phone calls and sitting in on community meetings.
So don’t think councillors (and the wider
community Olinda) for one minute I don’t understand what this pool means to the
residents of the Dandenong ranges.
We have a report and a recommendation
before us here tonight that gives all of the hills community a chance to see
what they want in this space, and if at the end of the day the community wants
a pool, they will get a pool, it just wont be this current pool.
My vision for the Olinda pool area is for
something that can be enjoyed for more than just 2-3 months of the year, a place
Olinda residents and tourists call a “destination”. I'm not talking about a Taj Mahal or anything
that’s going to win awards, but something that represents the community of
Olinda and the Dandenongs.
Councillors are regularly torn between what
the community wants, what the Shire wants and what the council can provide and
all of the time ensuring we as a council utilise our community’s rates in the
most efficient and smartest way.
I understand that this motion may not be
want the Olinda Community exactly wants, I know they essentially “just want to
swim in the pool”
Councillors do we spend the “minimum” to
“patch” this pool up, ignoring the health and safety aspects, continue to let
the pool leak and then be in this very situation again in 2-5 years time?
OR DO WE?
Take a step back, look at what can be
achieved through GOOD consultation with OUR community and provide something for
ALL for the next 30 to 50 years?
To me it’s a no brainer!
Councillors, the 2007 Aquatic Strategy was
endorsed at a meeting of council on the 24 July 2007 and in that report on
pages
8 – 6.4.3
“Undertake a township engagement
process to consider the future of the Olinda Outdoor pool. Options include
enhanced parkland for broader use including a water play area or other
priorities as determined. The current pool may be retained by the CFA for fire
fighting purposes.
Technical Assessment:
This pool is unlikely to remain viable because of filtration, heating, water depth, siting and OH&S issues. However, it provides a source of fire fighting water for the local CFA.
The immediate works required to bring the pool to a safe standard would cost $80,000. These are a pool depth reduction, revision of the CFA suction point, painting pool interiors, upgraded signs and handrails, plant room refurbishing and the testing of pool pipelines.
Improvements over the next 10 years would cost a further $150,000 for upgraded amenities, renewed pipelines and improvements to the toddlers pool.
This pool is unlikely to remain viable because of filtration, heating, water depth, siting and OH&S issues. However, it provides a source of fire fighting water for the local CFA.
The immediate works required to bring the pool to a safe standard would cost $80,000. These are a pool depth reduction, revision of the CFA suction point, painting pool interiors, upgraded signs and handrails, plant room refurbishing and the testing of pool pipelines.
Improvements over the next 10 years would cost a further $150,000 for upgraded amenities, renewed pipelines and improvements to the toddlers pool.
The pool is beyond its viable life and a total replacement in “as is” condition would cost
$2.5m which would not enhance its financial performance through increased use.
Lets ensure our community has something
that they, their kids and their kids can enjoy for a long time to come.
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