Dear Beagle Editor, The Batemans Bay community has spoken! We will fight to keep our 50m pool for the community and stand united with the Batemans Bay Indoor Aquatic Centre Committee, Batemans Bay Chamber of Commerce and Perfex.
Our pool exists because of a generous historical donation and has been supported by the community’s fundraising efforts. The community owns the pool just as it will own any future development gifted via State Government grants ($46m).
Whilst we support the grant application process, we question Council’s costings. The advice we are getting from other aquatic centre construction companies is that a 50m pool in the mix is absolutely doable and affordable within the current footprint. We would like to see another two quotes on the table to include a 50m pool.
Meetings of the Sunset Committee, closed to the community, has led to the resignation of David MacLachlan with supported sentiments by Jeannie Brewer. This presents an opportunity for Council to now include a major pool user representative on the committee.
Supporters include: the business community, Public Schools Sporting Association with 11 member schools from Milton to Tilba, Batemans Bay Swimming Club, Soldiers Club, Triathlete & Swimming Associations, Surf Life Saving Clubs, Swimming NSW, CWA, Progress Associations, 95% of comments on the Mayor’s Facebook interview as well as individual community members.
At a meeting attended by 56 stakeholders in May 2016 hosted by Perfex, the preference was clear – a 50m Olympic sized swimming pool.
As former national-level endurance swimmer Kate Lockley recently said (Bay Post 25/10/17) ‘Statements about building a multi-purpose facility to cater for the broadest cross-section of the community ring hollow when we fail to deliver on the defining feature of the development – the pool itself.’
We’re grateful to a majority of councillors who have taken the time to listen to the community’s concerns regarding this important issue.
We’ve had the use of a 50m pool in Batemans Bay for over 50 years. Council now claims we can’t afford it. We say, why not?
Check us out on Facebook at @ fight for the 50 – come and join us on Saturday 25 November 10.30 am Batemans Bay Swimming Complex and ‘Pack the Pool’.
Coral Anderson, Maureen Searson, Peter Coggan
