Olinda Pool Update #11

Hello Olinda community, at the community meeting held on the 7th October I was asked to produce the maintenance costs for the last 10 years. At our council forum meeting later that evening, I requested the Director of Engineering and Environment to compile this for me and make it public. Below is what has been posted on Council's Olinda Pool Update page as of the 8th October. 

In this report it has been acknowledged that the "recorded" numbers were true (I fully understand that this may not have been the case but unfortunately we do not know "for certain" what those extra numbers were). 

I am committed to ensuring we see this pool remain by bringing your voice to council and convincing other councillors to vote for retaining this pool. 

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Cost analysis

At this week's community meeting, Councillor Callanan was asked to follow up on the maintenance costs for the Olinda Pool. 
The table below outlines total maintenance and operational costs for the pool over the last 9 years.    
Maintenance costs include:
  • Painting the pool
  • Repairs to the pool shell including minor cracking and expansion joints
  • Servicing the plant and equipment including pumps, filters and pipes
  • Minor repairs to fencing, buildings and shade sail
  • Installing signs
  • Preparing the pool for Winter and start up costs including cleaning each year
  • Mowing
  • Reviewing the site each year and investigating work needed
We are also aware of allegations about our pool contractor not counting all the recorded visitations to the pool. This allegation was investigated and presented to Council. The contractor has confirmed the visitation numbers are correct and they are presented in the table below.
On average the pool has had 2,468 visits per year (or 18 people per day) for the last 9 years which equates on average to $22.70 per visit.

In comparison to other local pools in the area, the average cost per visit to Belgrave Outdoor Pool is $5.80 and Monbulk Aquatic Centre is $2.20. 
Olinda Pool - YearAttendance Total Costs (maintenance and operational) Costs per visit Maintenance costs 
 2004/05 2640 $34,959 $13.20$1,559 
 2005/06 3424 $47,185 $13.80 $12,920
 2006/07 2838 $46,819 $16.50 $3,840
 2007/08 2692 $46,632 $17.30 $3,284
 2008/09 3149 $41,315 $13.10 $5,684
 2009/10 2464 $79,115 $32.10 $31,011
 2010/11 975 $50,130 $51.40 $7,010
 2011/12 1242 $59,118 $47.60 $12,184
 2012/13 2782 $43,751 $15.70 $4,167

Estimated future capital and maintenance costs

The structural engineers report stated that $180,000 was required for pool shell repairs and to install a liner. In addition, the condition assessment showed the capital costs of $640,900 and maintenance costs of $233,100 would be required for the next 5 years to repair the pool. 
A further $123,180 would be needed for project management and design costs, bringing the estimated total costs to $769,080.

3 comments:

Labour to deliver on Olinda Pool if elected.



OCTOBER 7, 2014

LABOR TO REBUILD OLINDA POOL AND DELIVER NEW PLAYGROUND
An elected Andrews Labor Government will fund a redevelopment of Olinda Pool and construct new community playground facilities.
Only Labor will rebuild Olinda Pool and construct a new community playground, Deputy Opposition Leader and State Member for Monbulk, James Merlino, told a community meeting tonight.
An Andrews Labor Government will provide $500,000 in funding to rebuild Olinda Pool and also towards the construction of a new community playground.
Quotes attributable to Mr Merlino:
“Olinda Swimming Pool is one of our iconic community facilities in the hills and should not be allowed to disappear.
“This has gone on long enough, Yarra Ranges Council passed a motion way back in January to ‘expedite’ the re-opening of Olinda Pool. Nothing has happened since.
“Council clearly want to close the pool permanently. They need to get on with it – get the repairs done and re-open the pool for this summer.”
“The community has been calling for Olinda Pool to be saved but neither Council nor Denis Napthine has listened.”
“Labor will rebuild Olinda Pool to make it safe for the community to enjoy.”
“Well done to the Save The Olinda Pool Group and many other hills residents who have advocated so strongly to re-open the pool.”
Key Facts
  • Funding for Olinda Pool will only be provided if Council commit to both matching funding and re-opening Olinda Pool.

5 comments:

Kalorama Play Ground Update #1

 

 
 
 
Hello all some information re Kalorama Play Ground. Cr Jason Callanan
 
Dear Kalorama community member,

 

 
 
 
My name is Sue Neale and I have recently taken over responsibility for the design of the Kalorama Memorial Reserve play space. In recent weeks I have meet with small groups of Kalorama residents to discuss their ideas and preferences for the play space and these sessions have assisted greatly in further design ideas put forward during community meetings hosted in April and May. A design concept has now been prepared, please find attached. The concept is presented as an Ideas Board, to allow residents to continue to have their input, as we finalise the design. The design includes a new picnic and barbeque area, play equipment for junior and older children and an area for nature based play.


Discussions with residents regarding a lack of recreation facilities for young people in the area have led to the inclusion of the front tennis court into the design, as a new skating and ball games area. This part of the project is currently unfunded and is likely to happen as a second stage, following the completion of the playground.


Please take time to look over the Ideas Board and complete the brief survey to provide us with your feedback. A link to the survey is provided below.

I apologise for the delay in replacing the old equipment but hope that the new design leads to the creation of a valued and much visited destination for local families to enjoy for many years to come.


https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Kalorama-Playground-2014

0 comments:

your vote counts! ROADwhyz Victoria needs you!





 
 
 
Please people can you support ROADwhyz Victoria, a non for profit group of emergency service workers and victims of raod trauma educating our young drivers about the consequences of risk taking behaviour behind the wheel!
 
Vote and share this via Facebook or just vote using your email and post code! Voting closes 21st October. Without your support this grant will be given to someone else!

http://webapps.bankofmelbourne.com.au/thelocalproject/
 
Thank you!!

0 comments:

Monbulk Pavillion 500K promise from Liberals








NAPTHINE LIBERALS COMMIT $500,000 FOR

MONBULK RESERVE

Liberal candidate for Monbulk Mark Verschuur, today announced that a re-elected Napthine Government will deliver $500,000 towards a new community sports pavilion at Monbulk Reserve.

Mr Verschuur said the funding commitment would deliver a much-needed facility that would cater for the local football, netball and cricket clubs as well as school groups and the wider community.

"I’m a proud supporter of local sporting clubs and I’m delighted to have been able to deliver this much needed funding commitment for the hundreds of members of local clubs, user groups and the wider sporting community," Mr Verschuur said.

"Investing in our local sporting facilities is crucial, because it means we are investing in the futures of our young people. It is important that local youths have best possible local facilities available to them, encouraging them to pursue activities that build skills like leadership, teamwork and resilience.

"Not only do our local football, netball and cricket clubs encourage young people to be active and healthy, they help build stronger and more engaged communities.

"As part of Premier Denis Napthine’s team, I’ve been working with supporters, as well as committee members, to make this project a reality."

This funding announcement for Monbulk Community Sports Pavilion follows the $500,000 commitment towards the Upwey-Tecoma Community Recreation and Sporting Hub, announced by Premier Denis Napthine last week.

The Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Edward O’Donohue, joined Mr Verschuur to make the announcement.

"Mark’s commitment to fighting for Monbulk has paid off for the community and I am thrilled to be here today for this fantastic announcement," Mr O’Donohue said.

Paul Utting, President of the Monbulk Recreation Reserve Development Group, welcomed the announcement and said the funding would go a long way to transforming the old facilities.

"It’s especially important to our female participants, because currently there are no female change rooms," Mr Utting said.

"This funding would give us the opportunity to open up the reserve and make it a more inviting place for the wider community."

2 comments:

Facts about the Olinda Pool



 
 
 
 
Hi all there were some comments and questions asked that I can hopefully answer below:

Can I please as for a continued support for the community engagement process and encouraging all to get involved and participate.

It is important everyone in the community has their say to best inform Council on the long term options for the Olinda Pool site.

No decision has been made on the long term options for the Olinda Pool site. The engagement process is to discuss the value, gaps and opportunities the Olinda Pool site may represent the community in the future.

 
FAQ
 
Q1/ What is the progress of the planned engagement process?

What has been achieved? Workshops with all community interest groups (including CFA yesterday – 6 October 2014) and launch of the on line engagement with a new discussion question posted weekly.

What is coming up? Workshops with young people including the U14 Netball Team; U14 Cricket Team, Scouts and the Yarra Ranges Young Leaders; Bus Stop / Township Walk intercept survey of young people; and a phone survey of 400 households that will be demographically sampled.

 Q2/ How much longer?

Once the engagement activities are completed (next two weeks), Council staff will collate the findings and draft a report for Council to consider next steps. At this time, the community will be informed of the next steps and time frames.

 Q3/ Can Council repair the pool now so the pool can be opened for the upcoming season?

Unfortunately no. The pool will remain closed until a decision is made by Council.

Short term measures were investigated to try and reopen the pool. However, the structural engineer report and condition assessments undertaken identify a range of upgrades required to reopen the pool that is at considerable cost to Council. These are:
 
Repair the pool shell and install hydraulic water stops and a liner to limit water loss and reduce ground water pressure
 
Upgrade the plant and pipe work to meet water circulation standards for safe swimming as stipulated under the Public Health and Infectious Diseases Regulations

·        Refurbish buildings and improve access paths to meet requirements under the Building Code, Disability Discrimination Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Due to the significant cost and risks, Council resolved to explore long term options before making a decision on the future upgrade of the Olinda Pool site.


Q4/ How much does it cost to repair the old pool

 The minimum estimated capital cost of these upgrade works is $750,000. The structural engineer report and condition assessments indicate that these works would deliver a medium term outcome that has been clarified as approximately 10 years.

 These reports are available at Council’s webpage - the Olinda Pool Update.

 Weblink: http://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Lists/Parks-Facilities/Olinda-Outdoor-Pool/Olinda-Pool-updates

Q5/ Is Council trying to manipulate the survey outcomes?

 There have been allegations made that Council staff are trying to manipulate the outcomes of the survey, particularly with reference to Theme 5. This is incorrect and what is reported is factual.

 We appreciate there is support for retaining the Olinda Pool as a place that holds local endearment and offers social value, especially for young people and families.

The data we have collected over the last 10 years shows that on average the Olinda Pool recorded visitation of 2,468 at a cost per visit (subsidy) of $22.70. This equates to approximately 18 people per day.

Even if we were to double these statistics, they are still significantly less then the CERM National Industry Benchmark for outdoor pools that recorded visitation of 24,783 at a cost per visit (subsidy) of $6.68. This equates to approximately 177 people per day.


Q6/ What has come out of the engagement to date?

 We have heard that there is support for retaining the Olinda Pool as a place that holds local endearment and offers social value, especially for young people and families. This will be represented to Council along with a range of themes that have been explored with community groups:

 Theme 1: A place that embraces social value, activity and community. A place that embraces the social history of the site and promotes a healthy and active lifestyle all year round.

Theme 2: A place for young people and families. The site is an important place for young people to gather and could provide lots of different activities for families including a wifi park space, multi-activity court, skate elements, ropes course and boulder park.

Theme 3: A place for greater community activity. The site is a place where people can hold community events such as film nights, markets and the writers festival and community programs run by the Olinda Community House.

Theme 4: A place that represents fire safety planning. The site provides a clear open area that provides a sense of safety or retreat in a high bushfire zone. It has a strong relationship with the CFA and could be used to represent fire safety planning.

Theme 5: Repair the existing pool. A place for swimming and summer recreation, lying on the grass and informal social connection.


Q7/ Save the Olinda Pool group submission?

Council staff wish to thank the Save the Olinda Pool group for their submission to the community engagement process. This submission will be reported to Council as the Save the Olinda Pool group’s position on the future of the Olinda Pool site.

6 comments:

Olinda Pool Update #10



I was invited to attend a public meeting at the Olinda Town Hall, regarding the Olinda Pool. Members from both Labor and Liberal were in attendance, MP James Merlino, Liberal Candidate for Monbulk Mr Mark Verschuur, and Federal Member MP Jason Wood. Jason and James both spoke and was surprised and excited to hear a labor commitment of $500,000 towards the Olinda Pool. Thank you very much James. MP Jason Wood also stated that he would assist with any funding federally. Councillor and Mayor Fiona McAllsiter was also there.

Approximately 300 people packed the Olinda Town Hall to both listen and ask questions about the Olinda Pool. A majority of people there expressed their desire to have the Pool reopened to it's "original" condition and went on to talk about the historical, and sentimental attachment of this pool to the Olinda community. We heard from a number of kids who expressed their desires to have the pool reopened.

Mr John Faull "President" of the "Friends of the Olinda Pool" group also attended this "public" meeting representing the group. He spoke about the importance of getting a submission in otherwise council wont be able record your voice.

FMP Jason Wood also explained that he would like to see this pool/area be enjoyed "all year round" and not just for the 2-3 months of the summer season.

I also spoke to the audience explaining that I do get where they are coming from, having lived in a community a lot smaller than Olinda and extremely remote, as a kid the only thing we had was the pool. So I do really understand the attachment to this pool. I asked all to put their submissions in even if they thought the survey was "misleading" and explained there are other ways to voice your comments than just the survey.

I tried to answer questions from the gallery some of them were:

Q: Why did I vote to not support the last Olinda pool motion to "expedite the reopening of the Olinda pool?
A: First and foremost let me say that I will represent the community as a whole and try to voice a "balanced" view of all my constituents. This motion I felt was in haste, and believed we were rushing into something we didn't really have a good understanding of. In my opinion money would have simply been wasted and to me that would have been irresponsible as a member of council to waste rate payers money on something that wasn't a complete fix. I wanted to ensure the Olinda community had something there that would be enjoyed for another 50 years not just 10 and be back in the same decision we are in today. I'm looking out for the best interest of both my constituents and the wider Yarra Ranges community.

I went on to say that if the survey and submissions come back showing an overwhelming response to reopen the pool then I would take this to the council and express that!

Q: What are the year maintenance costs for the Olinda Pool for the last 10 years and where did that money go?
A: As you can imagine I couldn't answer this or produce documents to say where that money went, but at last night's forum meeting of council, I put this to the Director of Engineering and asked for this information within a week so that it can be given to the community of Olinda.

Some members thought I wasn't representing the community properly and I have taken that on board and will ensure I display this better to the community. As you can appreciate I also have community's of Monbulk, Seville, Kalorama, Wandin, Silvan and Macclesfield to represent and at times I may not get to all of you. But, granted, I can ensure I will display my efforts better.

The audience was asked to respond by a show of hands these 3 motions and 1 question they were:

Motion 1: That this meeting declares its clear and unequivocal support for the Olinda Pool Site being repaired and re-opened by the Yarra Ranges Council as a swimming pool facility.
Response: A majority of hands went up, but not all hands.

Motion 2: That this meeting request the council to make good on its resolution of 28/01/2014 "that council officers immediately investigate alternative methods of repairing the Olinda pool to expedite it reopening", and that this work be undertaken immediately to enable the pool to re-opened for the commencement of the 201/15 summer season.
Response: A majority of hands went up, but not all hands.

Motion 3: That this meeting resolve to host an "open the pool party" event in December to coincide with the commencement of the summer season at the pool, and to celebrate the pool's contribution to community life in the Hills.
Response: A majority of hands went up, but not all hands.

There was also a 2 part question asked of the audience about the what they would like to see at the Olinda Pool site:

Q: Would you like to see the Olinda Pool repaired back to its original condition and nothing more?
A: A majority of hands went up but not all.
Q: Would you like to see something else at the Olinda Pool site?
A: 1 hand went up, (from what I could see) but there was no follow on to ask what that person wanted to see.

Can I thank all those who spoke:

Narelle Everard (Chair)
John Faull (President of Save the Olinda Pool Group)
Andrea Mikulic and number of other kids (sorry I couldn't write your names down quick enough)
Tim Moore
Annette Muir
MP James Merlino
MP Jason Wood
Cr Fiona McAllister (Mayor)
Cr Noel Smith (Streeton Ward)
Liz Filleul
Janne Morton

The meeting has represented a considerable view of the Olinda Community to re-open the pool and has been taken on notice this response by me. As I said previously if the submissions and survey displays an overwhelming response for the Olinda Pool to be reopened then I will take this to council and voice this to the other 8 councillors.

I will post some further information about some comments made on the night in another page.

Cr Jason Callanan - Chandler Ward

"On a side note, as I left the meeting, I was accosted by a community member who was quite argumentative and resorted to insulting me, I found this unhelpful and somewhat offensive. I hope that this is a isolated view and not that of the audience there.

I am committed to ensuring I represent my Ward which includes many other townships, all of them having issues facing them. I try to ensure I give a balanced view and also voice the "minority" who may feel hesitant to speak up publicly and there were some who attended this meeting.

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