savesunshinepool.com

[Bonavena]

This mornings Age article on pools for schools is fantastic for Hillside,Werribee,Point Cook,Deer Park residents and kids.But all bullshit aside the two poorest suburbs in Melbourne..Sunshine and Footscray still miss out.This front page story prooves our point..Pools are an election issue and Bracks and Maddern know it.Keep the pressure on until a proper pool is built in Sunshine.And don't forget all these pools for the above areas are bullshit until they are built and the fine print is read.Don't trust or believe anyone!

[Who pays?]

Good concept for those schools that can fit an indoor 25M pool on their site and are capable of sustaining its use.

It flies in the face of the current business model for public pools though as in order to minimise financial subsidies they have:

1. swimming water spaces
2. learning and rehabilitating water spaces
3. leisure water spacs
4. fitness spaces - gyms aerobics etc

so it will be interesting to see the business model that underpins the Pools for Schools model.

Will schools be expected to pay the financial subsidies to the private operator? If so where will the school budget find that money from?

But the location / distribution of the Pools for Schools needs to be planned so they dont become white elephants standing alone on their own. So is there a planning framework to guide distribution or will it be along the traditional political / marginal seats lines?

You would think a network of schools in a local area would have to sort out which one was best placed to have one on its site so that the others could use it also as the stand alone 25M pools are expensive to build and then operate particularly if they are privately operated and a profit is needed ?

What is the cost of the PPP to the public and how much profit could be going to fund the heated Sunshine Outdoor Leisure Pool ?

What are the admission costs for the schools and then the public?

Who pays for:

1. the subsidy to the private operator to ensute there is a profit for running the pools
2. the maintenance and upkeep of the pools

Bottom line is much more policy detail is needed before a considered view on whether this is a good idea or just a political response to quieten community pressure in the lead up to the election.

All seems a bit wide and loose at present with the taxpayer potentially forking out way too much for expensive white elephants.

It still might be financially prudent in an overall sense for the Sunshine, Deer Park, St Albans, Keilor and Sydenham communities to have public swimming pools -with a mix of swim, learning and leisure water spaces - with gyms and canteens etc to cross subsidise operations rather than have a series of stand alone Pools for Schools each losing a lot of taxpayers money and having to be subsidised more than public pools..

And then have the State governmment provide a lower operating and maintenance subsidy direct to Brimbank Council for its public pools / gyms / canteens rather than the State government provide an expensive collective raft of State subsidies to private PPP operators that are likely to be needed to sustain a portfolio of non commercial 25M Pools for Schools.

Surely there must have been an options analysis and comparative business cases done for each of the following:

a) adding PPP pools to public pools and leisure centre complexes
b) adding PPP Pools to State Schools
c) a mix of the above

And a planning framework developed to ensure proper distribution and equity across the State

[Save Sunshine Pool]

Agree that these pools will be fantastic for kids who live in those areas. Fantastic, if the pools are actually ever built)

Remember Telmo told us we were getting the Sunshine pools fixed before the last election, and then nothing.

And more recently all of the Brimbank Councillors told us only a month or so ago that Stage 2 was going to go ahead with funding from the State Government.

Then as soon as the three outdoor pools were demolished the Labor team out here said - "Sorry, No Pools for You Now"

The anger out here because of the lies and con job that has resulted in the demolition of our three outdoor pools is worse than ever.

Everyone must be informed about how we are being shafted by the Western Suburbs Labor people so something positive is done!

Our next rally is at the Melbourne Cup.

Then we will have another massive rally or two before the election.

If you can think of other events that we can make our story known at post them here or email contact@savesunshinepool.com


Don't forget the Mothers Group is also having a repeat meeting on Thursday 26th at 6.30pm

Read the announcement here:
http://www.savesunshinepool.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1108
_________________
Brimbank has a population of over 170,000 people and has only one outdoor pool. Most other councils have 5 - 12 outdoor pools. Brimbank also has close to the worst health status in Victoria. But the Council and the State Government demolished 3 outdoor pools in Sunshine.

A 25 Metre pool is now finally scheduled to be built at Sunshine and opened in November 2008

Join in the campaign to have the pools repaired or replaced properly now!

[Aquatic Strategy Nuked]

[url]http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/Page/page.asp?Page_Id=1470&h=0[/url]


Twelve months after an expensive 18 month Brimbank style process and over $80,000 in direct costs the Suleyman faction has decided to Nuke the Council's new Aquatic Strategy.

Why? Because their political advisors told them that rather than giving the pool groups regular "free kicks" by threatening to close SS&LC or renovate its roof it was strategically smarter to focus on petitions to develop new pools in other suburbs and to discuss the fix of St Albans.

So instead of the two district pool strategic approach at Sunshine and St Albans set out by the Aquatics experts we are now seeing petitions for new pools at Deer Park, Albanvale, Keilor, Sydenham and a reno of St Albans pool being warmly welcomed by the Suleyman faction as they attempt yet again to outflank the pool groups. And at the same time claiming the 6 pool model fits with the Aquatic Strategy.

They obviously haven't had the chat with the CEO yet about the need for a critical mass of water and leisure spaces to ensure staffing efficiencies and minimal ratepayer subsidies. And linking in with pools outside Brimbank like Sunshine residents now will have to do - youth families schools - if they can afford the time and money to do it.

Has our politically sensitive CEO let the Nuke happen just twelve months after the much vaunted Aquatic Strategy was released? How can she justify not dismantling it before detonation after arguing so strongly for so long that pools aren't needed in Brimbank and people can travel out of area? What has changed?


BRIMBANK COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE


September 2005 - Aquatic Strategy adopted


Council has adopted the Brimbank Aquatic Strategy which recommends a substantial capital investment in the City’s two leisure centres to provide diverse, year-round aquatic and dry spaces to meet community needs over the next 10 years.

NOW ITS 6 LEISURE CENTRES

The Strategy confirms Council’s direction of redeveloping the Sunshine Swim and Leisure Centre at a cost of $7.6 million as a local aquatic and leisure facility and recommends, as a second priority, that the St Albans Leisure Centre be redeveloped as a district facility at a cost of about $12 million.

The Brimbank Aquatic Strategy was developed by Sykes Humphreys Consulting, who headed a team including SGL Consulting and Beca Pty Ltd to undertake detailed research and analysis on the current and future provision of aquatic, health and fitness services and facilities in Brimbank and the broader Western Region.

WHAT HAS NOW CHANGED?

Its development also included an extensive community and stakeholder consultation process which included 400 surveys of randomly selected households, surveys of 400 users of existing aquatic facilities, surveys of 44 schools, 20 interviews with key stakeholders, two user forums, one public forum and meetings with established Brimbank groups.

Mayor, Cr Natalie Suleyman, said the adoption of the Brimbank Aquatic Strategy is a win for the local community.

SO WHY CHANGE IT?

“This is clearly a win for the Brimbank community and for members and users of both the Sunshine and St Albans Leisure Centres. The Aquatic Strategy reinforces the need for Council to focus on its current infrastructure which is old and badly needs upgrading and to provide more choices for users of the facilities.

SHOW US THE MONEY

“Council and the State Government have made a commitment to redevelop the Sunshine Swim and Leisure Centre at a cost of $7.6 million to provide an all-year round health and aquatic facility for the local community. Our first priority is to get on with the job and get this redevelopment underway for the community.

“The Strategy also recommends the redevelopment of the St Albans Leisure Centre as a district facility catering for the central and northern parts of the municipality in the medium term


SO WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT DOING SYDENHAM POOL NOW AND NOT ABOUT IT IN THE LONGER TERM? AND WHAT ABOUT MELTON"S CONTRIBUTION TO THIS BORDER SERVICE?

“The Aquatic Strategy will be reviewed in the future to determine community need and to ensure that any further development fits within Council’s broader asset management planning framework. This is responsible financial management for the future of Brimbank.”

HAS A REVIEW ALREADY HAPPENED SO AS TO ALLOW CONSIDERATION OF ADDITIONAL POOLS? IF SO, BASED ON WHAT CRITERIA?

The project consultants were supported by an Advisory Group that consisted of representatives from a range of community, leisure, government, health and education professionals.

THERE YOU GO - DID THEY ALL GIVE DUD ADVICE A YEAR AGO?

Other recommendations in the Aquatic Strategy include:

• Continuing to monitor the development and provision of aquatic facilities throughout the region

TELL US ALL ABOUT THE FINDINGS THAT HAVE BROUGHT ABOUT THE MAJOR CHANGE OF DIRECTION - 6 LEISURE CENTRES _ AND THE FINANCIAL IMPACTS ON RATEPAYERS - CAPITAL AND OPERATING

• Leisure and aquatic facilities working with other agencies and groups to identify and develop programs for minority and ‘at risk’ groups
• Promoting the benefits of taking part in the diverse range of opportunities available at Council’s leisure centres within Brimbank

[Labor Party clowns here]

Let the other places have the pools, just make sure they also change the 2030 policy so the population explosion happens where the pools are, not where the pols are not.

At the moment Sunshine is a designated Principal Activity Centre - and the Labor Councillors and Madden have demolished three outdoor pools to be replaced with one indoor wading pool.

And now propose to build infrastructure elsewhere and they have cancelled the promised plans for additional infrastructure in Sunshine.

And there you have the whole disaster area we live in created by Labor Branch stackers who have full control of the council.

Why are Branch Stackers so dumb? Screwing working class people and making the Labor Party look like a 2 cent backyard circus?

[Other councils can do]

Other councils understand the value of community faciltiies. I think you are right, why don't the idiots we have here have half a clue?

found this recent news about other councils fixing their cold water pools to make them more profitable:
http://www.clag.net.au/news/article?news=20

[Dudded again]

Every other mayor has had photos with Madden and huge excitement for delivering a very inexpensive pool for their residents - EXCEPT FOR NATALIE SULEYMAN.

It is clear that she will do nothing and that this whole POOL PROMISE is a con job concocted by the Labor Unity team of Shorten/Madden/Suleyman/Bracks.

These people are evil with the way they manipulate residents, they have no shame doing this before the election, and then letting it all dissappear.

At least is on the record for everyone to see.
ANOTHER ALP PRE-ELECTION CON JOB HATCHED BY LABOR UNITY

The Sunshine pool will bring all these people down when all of the other behind the scenes power mongering and subsequent neglect is exposed.

BRING ON THE RALLIES!!!!!