On Monday night (Feb 10), Council will consider whether to increase our rates by 10.6%. Plenty of people are wondering how, after merging Councils to ‘reduce costs’, Council is in the financial position of needing to hike up rates after just 3 years.
There may be some explanation in Council’s seemingly insatiable desire to spend our ratepayers $$ on cricket and golf facilities. Makes us wonder if there is someone senior at Council who loves cricket and golf?
Let’s take a look at some of the projects that have been delivered by Council in the last 3 years: -
1. $6M cricket training facility at Penshurst Park.
2. $2.2m two-storey pavilion at Harold Fraser Oval, a cricket oval.
3. $2.5m for Hurstville Golf Course for a new two-storey Golf Course Pavilion, new greens and pathways.
4. $2.2m for Hurstville Oval for a 2nd pavilion. A cricket oval and cycling velodrome.
5. $177,000 for resurfacing Hurstville Oval’s velodrome
At risk of losing the $2.2M funding set aside for the 2nd pavilion at Hurstville Oval (if funds aren’t used by 30 June 2020), Councillors on Monday night will be asked to rush through a decision on the location of the pavilion, with the feasibility report on this project listed as ‘confidential’. Where is the business case and community survey for this 2nd pavilion?
Why, when its for a cricket facility can a decision on a location for a NEW facility be ‘rushed through urgently’, yet when its for the replacement of an EXISTING facility of a pool, deciding on the location is a long and drawn out process costing another $1million of our rates.
Council, not satisfied with the investments so far in cricket, has touted Hurstville Oval (in the Hurstville Oval Plan of Management) as the ideal location for a ‘Sports Museum’. There has been no overwhelming community demand for a Sports Museum, however Council have recently spent $35K to investigate the feasibility of constructing a permanent Sports Museum and in a report to Council it was suggested that similar Sports Museums in other parts of Australia had cost $17million!!!!
Although a Sports Museum is a ‘nice to have’ facility, at $17m, it certainly should not be prioritised ahead of the replacement of a community aquatic facility that the ratepayers are simply crying out for Council to replace at the existing site at Carss Park.
Councils such as City of Gold Coast are delivering an aquatic centre redevelopment at Miami Aquatic Centre for $18m. This redevelopment has everything we need at Carss Park and it is being delivered in 12months.
With the $5million funds pledged by the Prime Minister, together with the amount spent on cricket and golf facilities in the last 3 years, the redevelopment of Carss Park Pool could have been funded and underway.
Don't forget to write your submission to Council. Email regionalaquatics@georgesriver.nsw.gov.au before Feb 28 with your reasons why you think Council should Rebuild Carss Park Pool. Make sure you CC councillors on your submission.
