This week saw much conversation around the $51 million Mackay Park Project planed for Batemans Bay. As more and more of the community came to learn of the details that the 50m pool was being removed and replaced with a 25m pool and that there was going to be a theatre tacked on as well they let their feelings be known on social media to the Councils Facebook page and the Our Town Our Say Facebook page. T O'N said "Fundraising for a 50m pool has been undertaken for the last 25 years (possibly longer). When is Council going to listen to your ratepayers. We don't need 4 pools plus a tower etc. Built a 50m indoor pool for our budding athletes so their parents won't have to travel outside of the bay for training. A heated therapy pool. Then whatever funds are left will determine what else can be constructed. Give us what we need not what looks good and is useless." Donna P said "I’m mystified to why we keep being asked for our opinions when we as a community are not being heard ...oh your ticking that box implying you have ...got it now." WB wrote ."we all know descisions made they have to do consultation ie survey worded so they get the answers they want. ie do we want design 1 2 or 3. One being the one they want. Most ppl will answer 1 as its the way they order it. Avioding do we need a 50 mtr pool questions. They think ppl are stupid?" D.L wrote "So all the kiddies pools are still outside in the heat/weather? The 'art gallery' looks like an after thought. If seperate buildings I can see the things like gallery being under utilized and eventually 'forgotten' so I would have to go with Concept C if these are the only options available" R.S wrote "Well I am not a swimmer. But I think 25 m pool is stupid.I have mentioned this to people as far as Queensland to Vic board and they all said the council is mad. Some of these people are on their local government council.Yep Eurobodalla council will be the laughing stock again. The local kids who competitively swim will miss out. The parents will have to drive these kids to other towns for training nearly everyday, which becomes an extra time and financial burden on families.Kiss the idea goodbye of any Batemans Bay kid has of representing their country.Well done ESC." J.S offered, "Have your say.. well here’s mine and what looks like a lot of other peoples opinions We don’t want an 25m indoor pool We want our 50m pool in the sparkling sunshine and perhaps a heated therapy or small indoor pool added into the existing locationMoney saved, people happy, problem solved" Other comments around the Bay last week were: M.R ... "I hope the Councillors take take note that all the community has publicly humiliated them on social media with their blown-out scheme and will now agreed to the communities plea to "Keep it Simple Stupid" and recondition the Batemans Bay 50m pool, install a purpose built hydrotherapy pool adjacent and cover the whole thing under a single roof covered with solar panels. K.B... "Narooma have a successful year round 50m pool that is now guaranteed to remain under Council's newly adopted Aquatic Strategy" said one of the community members in the Bay this week. K.B... "Surely they could refurbish the existing pool and build us the hydro pool we have wanted for nearly 30 years on the same site and leave the jolly Mini Golf right where it is". R.N...."The hydrotherapy people told me hate the three concept plans and are demanding an new one be drafted. Why bother with all that. Just build them a 25m pool on the same site and cover it all over with a roof. Easey Peasy. Job done. There will be lots of change from the $26m money from Andrew Constance." D.Mc .... "They say they are going to just have an visitor information kiosk there now. If that is the case why not have a few information screens around the town instead. Much cheaper and more accessible and effective. Why not also give tourists free wi-fi? They can sell the under perfoming information centre to pay for it and save a motzer on labour costs as well".
A.J.... "I heard the Council town planner has confirmed the bus depot idea is off the table and the buses are going to stay in Clyde Street. That is a much better outcome. Whose idea was it to have the buses over there, crossing the highway with all your shopping? Sheer Stupidy." "I also heard the community hall users like U3A are incensed with giving up the Community hall for just one overpriced a meeting room." Diane N.... "What is the point of a theatre when there is no-one to use it. The club has a great auditorium and the Bay Players have the theatre. Who exactly is going to use this theatre?" ML wrote on the Batemans Bay Notice board "The entire performance space will likely bankrupt council, as it did in Port Macquarie.... read and weep, this is insane and THEY have known it for 10 years !!Glasshouse ticket prices... $84 How often will YOU go ?" From the Our Town Our Say FB page a response of "51 million dollars on a art centre and indoor pool the majority of the community don’t support and it leaves Narooma as the only 50m pool to service the entire eurobodalla shire.... yeah sounds just peachy 😒" from J.S
The Narooma community had no problem in enclosing their pool to make it now the Council's chosen 50m pool for regional events.
The final observation is from Allan Brown: "It seems to me a lot of the problems with the proposed aquatic centre are because there was no adopted plan generally supported by the shires residents. The State Government commitment to it seems to be providing funds without a community endorsed plan. Now council is attempting to develop a plan to fit the offered funds, is that what’s going on ? That’s all arse about. "The plan should have come first, endorsed by the shires residents. Then funding sourced to get going. Don’t know how the state government arrived at the $26 million number without a plan and estimates either. That’s not the way things actually work in the finance world. "The idea – plans come first then money is found to accommodate the plans if they are deemed viable .But ongoing financial obligations including depreciation estimates need to be included in the total scheme of things. Banks do not just hand out funds without properly presented plans that show how all obligations will be met. The bank in this case will be the grant supplier wouldn’t it for the other $25 m required ? "Someone at council must know how to properly assess everything as far as funding and future liabilities go ! ?A Batemans Bay CBD and surrounds, development Master Plan, would be worth seeing now as well."
