savesunshinepool.com

[Oktay]

Wheres the link to the Melbourne Pool Alliance web page? I can't find the site. I was at the meeting last week.How fantastic! Different people with one clear objective..A first class pool for Sunshine not some shoddy toddler pool.And a real mistrust of council and politicians was great to see.If they want our votes let them proove their comittment to us! One week has gone by.Whens the protest at MSAC,hows the protest at the North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast going where every powerbroker in the nation will attend,lets get going!

[Save Sunshine Pool]

Website is just being launched.

More info about the protest rallies etc will be coming soon.

www.melbournepools.com
_________________
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!

[Glen Eira Outdoors OK]

Glen Eira Council has just approved a $36M redevelopment at its Caulfield and East Bentleigh pools.

Caulfield has a 25M indoor and 50M heated outdoor.

East Bentleigh has a 50M heated outdoor, a heated outdoor learn to swim and a heated outdoor toddlers.

The Council and community pool groups have just met with a very supportive Minister Justin Madden and sought $2.5M from Better Pools.

Just goes to show Councils and communities can work effectively together when they are allowed to engage and consult properly. Brimbank council is hopeless.

Melbourne Pool Alliance's first victory as the local community pool group is a supportive member of MPA.

This Council has two marginal seats so it just goes to prove what can happen when there is some competition.

[Frankston's Laver Pool]

Frankston Council has received approval for a relocation of a Rod Laver Pool after the World Championships and a $6M grant to boot.

Brimbank Council is hopeless.

[Frank]

Now I'm only guessing. But is Frankston a marginal seat? Brimbank Council should resign over missing the opportunity of securing this pool.But really this is just another kick in the guts for the people of Sunshine who are all too used to it by now.

[Midnight Mick]

I only hope Caulfied don't jump ship now their council have done the right thing.Looking forward to tomorrows MPA meeting.MPA HERE TO STAY!!

[Save Sunshine Pool]

Great meeting. The communication lines are in place and a co-ordinated pool campaign is now a reality.

More details soon but the dot points are:

- People in safe Labor seats are fed up with the co-ordination between Labor stacked councillors and Labor Ministers who are closing, demolishing and condemning swimming pools in safe Labor seats while spending millions in marginal seats and major events.

- Marginal seats are getting new pools or replacement pools however safe Labor seats, people in traditional working class suburbs are having their pools closed down.

- Footscray pool - CLOSED and SOLD
- 3 Sunshine Pools - DEMOLISHED (replacement only 3 feet deep)
- Oakleigh 50m Pool - CONDEMNED

- Use the collective people power in pool neglected communities to highlight how GRASS ROOTS SWIMMING is being seriously neglected by the Minister for Sports and Recreation and the Labor dominated councils.

- Highlight the adverse effects of the destruction of our local pools and the trade off of the obesity and diabetes epidemic in recreationaly challenged areas.

- Use the collective people power in pool neglected communities to highlight the real reasons that we we are losing our pools - profile the ministers and officials who are co-ordinating the demolition of pools in Safe labor seats.

- Use the collective people power in pool neglected communities to warn all voters in Victoria about what the consequences of turning their electorate into a Safe Labor seat.

- The collective communities of Sunshine, Oakleigh, Footscray, Bentleigh and others will be marching together en masse at strategic high profile events beginning with the Grand Final Breakfast this month.

- Mass protest at the World Swimming Championships where the government is spending over $40 million for two weeks of elite competition while grass roots swimming in Safe Labor seats is becoming non-existent.

- Mass protest on the steps of parliament.


It is important that everyone who attended the Sunshine Pool rallies and recent meetings pass the word and get behind the Melbourne Pool Alliance rallies.

If we can get our usual 250 - 500 people along, Oakleigh bring their 500 along, Footscray bring on all of the 500 people who couldn't transfer their Footscary Pool memberships to Highpoint we will have a great crowd and get much publicity.

All of the talk from the Labor team of Natalie Suleyman, Hakki Suleyman, Justin Madden, Bruce Mildenhall, Telmo Langueller, Sam David, after another year of letter writing, emailing, begging, picketing, attending meetings, showing statistics etc, has amounted to absolutely nothing.

Bruce Mildenhall and Marsha Thompson had an opportunity to make a special announcement at the recent meetings with the community but again have indicated that 'NOTHING IS HAPPENING'.

The mayor Natalie Suleyman has told all sorts of stories in the past fortnight - "we might look into it in 2008-2009".

Sunshine is the typical Safe Labor seat with Labor endorsed councillors, half of whom are employed in MPs offices. The Mayor''s father works in Madden's office, the Mayor works for Haymeyer, together they all colluded to ensure that Natalie was given the Mayorship etc.

It is a Safe labor seat team that has connections through the Labor party.

For years this team has pointed the finger at each other whenever the pool issue is raised, even though they work together and are seen together at events regularly.

Last week the Labor Party announced that they would fund outdoor replacement pools for Sunshine if the council would put in an application.

In the same week the Labor Mayor announced that no application would even be considered for several more years (after 14 years of waiting)

The clear message at this point in time from the Labor team of Suleyman, Madden, Mildenhall, Marsha Thompson is that they have organised another "DO NOTHING" strategy for Sunshine which has the least aquatic facilities in Victoria, made worse with three outdoor pools demolished last month.

To understand how ridiculous the situation is the Mayor suggested in her press release last week that it would be irresponsible for her council to master plan anything on the site while the first stage of demolition and modifications to the building are about to commence!

So the cost of a properly master planned swimming complex will be again exorbitant for the community because the plans have never been done properly. Bury it, dig it up again, turn the place into a construction site, clean it up for the public opening, turn it into a construction site again 12 months later??? Its clear and it has been clear all along that NOTHING is planned.

At least we have put enough pressure on them to keep the centre open but the destruction of three outdoor pools and all of the lawns and tall trees is disgusting.

Justin Madden replied to a letter from Save Sunshine Pool last week.
The reponse only took 4 months from the original letter despite this issue being massive out here!

The letter requested that the $40 million Rod Laver Arena temporary two week pool be relocated to Sunshine (where we have the least aquatic facilities in Victoria and just had three pools demolished by the Labor Party team)

His response was that the $1.4 million being spent in Sunshine (which has been spent now on the 3 outdoor pools demolition) was a wonderful thing for the community. That the new 3 foot deep (at the deep end) indoor wading pool was actually two new pools, but that they were joined together for the benefit of the elderly and toddlers! Its cruel.

How the elderly will benefit standing up to their knees in a shallow pool i am unsure and madden did not elucidate.

He signalled that there was nothing planned for Sunshine.

We must get all of our numbers together and with the other communities in the new Melbourne Pool Alliance let everyone in Victoria know what Justin madden and his team are doing to us in Safe Labor Seats and the tragedy Victoria is being set up for with regards to Grass Roots Swimming.

The way you vote will determine your childrens chances being involved in swimming and other sports.

In Sunshine two generations of kids have grown up without knowing the experience of a decent swimming pool.

The current Labor Unity team out here has indicated that this will be the same for another generation of teenagers.

Meanwhile in Albert Park $104 million has been spent.

We went their on Saturday with the Melbourne Pools Alliance.

They have two 50 metre pools, several 25 metre pools, diving pool, wave pool, the roof of the new outdoor 50 metre pool there would have fixed Sunshine pool and Oakleigh pool and left spare change.

If they think they can continue to tell us and our kids that we are not worthy of a decent swim then they have another thing coming.

It is time that the key players who have co-ordinated the demolition of our pools be made to at least face the facts and everyone in Victoria know of their role in DOING NOTHING in the safest labor seats.

Four years ago when this website started we really thought that once the facts were presented that the local Labor councillors and the Labor MPs would see what a no-brainer it is and fix things.

I met Madden and thought he was a really good bloke and that when he said proper master planning would have to be done before the pools were demolished I actually believed him.

And coming up to the last election they made many promises that 'something was happening'.

Don't tip over the apple cart, don't get political.

And we didn't.

And then the election came, and went, and Bruce Mildenhall and Justin Madden said, GO SWIM AT HIGHPOINT...

But now the anger and frustration has spilt over well beyond boiling point and the hundreds at the last rally and the hundreds at the Mothers Group meeting all seemed to share that anger.

I know that the mothers group think that a softly, softly approach discussing these things with the Labor representatives will bring some sort of announcement, but savesunshinepool.com and hundreds of us have all been down that road, year after year, and all we get is talk, and then NOTHING.

It took Madden 4 months to reply to our email for god sake.

So now we are taking this to a new level, unchartered territoy, and BIG. Perhaps they will hear us this time?

And we are going to point the finger at who has been duping us all this time with stalling and delay tactics, when the agenda all along was to demolish our pool and then do nothing but a crap wading pool. Which Madden would like to tell people is two pools...

No more.

We are coming en masse and everyone is going to know what has happened, and at least this way instead of shadows and mirrors the public in Victoria will have the opportunity to make an informed vote in November and a vote that might give their local pool and swimming a chance in their suburb.
_________________
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!

[Wayne]

Can you imagine how embarrassed Bracks and Maddern will be by protesters at this function? And whatsmore a problem that could be solved with the swipe of a pen and some pokies money.

[Why Brimbank Did Not Bid]

Council's all around the State are bidding for the Rod Laver World Chamionship pools.

Geelong's bid is chronicled in the Bellarine Peninsula Independent -see below.

Geelong already has many more pools and much better access to a swim than Brimbank residents do.

Brimbank was asked to put in a submission by the Minister but would not as the mayor and her father wanted political revenge. They have a personal vendetta against members of Sunshine community groups that are highlighting the problems in Brimbank Council.

And they are being let get away with it by their ALP mates who all know what is going on and why.



http://www.starnewsgroup.com.au/story/24468

City bids for champs pool


Alex de Vos

8th September 2006 09:54:40 AM



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geelong is competing for an Olympic-size pool from next year’s World Swimming Champ-ionships in Melbourne.

State Government will give away the events temporary pools after the championships in March, with councils around the state putting their hands up as potential new homes.

Sport Minister Justin Madden this week announced one of the two Olympic-size pools would go to Frankston after the event.

Organisers will install 50 and 25-metre pools at Rod Laver Arena for the championships.

Member for Geelong Province Elaine Carbines said the remaining 50-metre pool would relocate to a new Leisure Link Aquatic Centre at Waurn Ponds after the championships if the city won its bid.

“It would dramatically reduce the total cost of the new facility (at Waurn Ponds) and benefit greater Geelong,” Ms Carbines said.

“I’ll lobby the minister even harder now one of the winners has been announced.”

Geelong was not vying for one of the 25-metre pools.

Councillor Tom O’Connor, a former swimming coach, said the pool bid was “sensational”.

He believed that obtaining the remaining 50-metre pool would be a boon to the development of young swimmers in Geelong.

“It think it’s most appropriate considering the standard and quality of young swimmers coming through Geelong programs.”

The pool would also help raise Geelong’s profile in international swimming, he said.

[Here it comes]

Reported that a very big name will be involved with the Melbourne Pool Alliance protest rallies which are beginning this year in grand final day.

See this website:
http://www.sunshine.asn.au/component/option,com_joomlaboard/Itemid,54/func,view/id,5698/catid,2/limit,20/limitstart,0/

[High profile Personality]

Definitely confirmed that a local legend known internationally will be there.

[Any clues]

Can you give us any more clues??

[High profile Personality]

Is it Kieran Perkins?

[High Profile Personality]

I heard the Hand of God - Maradona - was flying in from Argentina after orchestrating the Davis Cup victory to lend his hand.

Another coup coming up for a fair Victoria Justin.

[Guest]

Its not a pro swimmer, was actually a very good boxer.

[Mohammed]

You haven't got Ali have you??

[Guest]

Getting warmer....or colder...

[Swanny Boy]

Heard Thorpie's back in town rooting for the Swannies and is off to the Breakfast.

[Mad Dog]

It isnt Tony Mad Dog Miller is it the Collingwood / Willy boxing coach and ex champ?

[Guest]

Known nationally and internationally.

Keen to raise the class problems being created in Safe Labor seats where you have the 'haves' and the 'have nots' based on electorate.

He is dead keen to highlight the corruption issues and bias toward property developers over families and community.

The Sunshine Pool issue and problems involved in our community trying to communicate our needs has exposed corruption and incompetence generated by branch stacking nimrods who are lining their own pockets.

Sunshine Pool --> Melbourne Pools Alliance --> Labor Corruption and Incompetence.

The pool is going to bite their arses as we are not prepared to eat shit any longer.

[Going Swimmingly]

Another good MPA session last night - all on board and ready

[Micka]

Awesome see you all there on Saturday morning - bloody early. who is bringing the snags - let me know if you want me to bring something Simon you know my email.

[Oktay]

I just hope the enthusiasm from the Mothers Meeting carries over to this Saturday morning at Jeffs Shed.Where else will we get the chance to humiliate Bracks and Maddern in front of thousands of sports minded voters? Unfortunately it appears Oakleigh are falling for the council tactics of false promises for silence and are backing off.We'll see.A message to Oakleigh would be to not trust anyone until their pool is saved.See you tomorrow!

[Train times]

Trains leave Sunshine for the city tomorrow at

5.59 a.m.
6.22 a.m.
6.42 a.m
7.02 a.m.
7.22 a.m.
7.42 a.m.
8.02 a.m.

See as many as possible at the Grand Final Breakfast rally at Jeff's Shed

[GFinal Breakfast report]

Lots of other views on the MPA sessions at the Grand Final breakfast and the Sunshine Marketplace Shopping Centre on:

http://www.sunshine.asn.au/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&id=48&func=view&catid=6&id=5885#5885
[url]
http://www.sunshine.asn.au/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&id=48&func=view&catid=11&id=5887#5887[/url]

http://www.sunshine.asn.au/index.php?option=com_joomlaboard&id=48&func=view&catid=6&id=5876#5876

Corporate Brax didnt like the heat and ducked the head when he was sighted and the "Neglect of the West" and the "Fools Close Pools" shouting started from the Sunshine, Footscray and Oakleigh supporters and bolted down the VIP Red carpet out of sight.

Corporate Brax is an elitist and a real worry for our community. He doesn't seem to think we matter. He would have made a great Liberal Premier.

Ned Kelly's appearance with his Unfair Victoria sign had all the TV networks over taking footage of the protest and Corporate Brax moving on quickly as Ned sauntered over towards him.

The Federal police gave Ned a security check before Little Johnnie arrived and checked his eyes against the eyes on his drivers licence. Funny moment.

Lots of handouts taken away by breakfasters. Great signs and banners made for a colourful and noisy session by the Alliance.

3AW came running out of their booth and did a live interview and continued on the discussions during the morning about the lack of pools in the western suburbs and how bad that was.

A number of ALP people were talking things over and said they would take things further inside the party.

Braxy's driver moved his car VIC 1 away from the entrance when the protest moved over beside it. Doesn't like it western suburbs tough our Corporate Brax. A fair weather sailor.

Kim Beasley took away a handout for a closer read after he was asked to sort out a few of his mates in the West who were closing down community funded and built swimming pools and not properly replacing them so working families (ALP voters) suffer because of stupidly tight arse and vengeful politicians and bureaucrats who cant or dont want to see the value of the big heated outdoor leisure pools for people of all ages and the bigger picture benefits.

Overall the Grand Final session wasa great success and served its purpose as a great practice session as we get the MPA up and running and start the organising for the next bigger and better high profile event.

By the time the November election and the World Swim titles come around we will be well and truly in full swing.

One thing is for sure Our Nat the Brat and her dad Hakki have really started something in the West.

And doesnt Marsha Thompson know it.

[MPA GFB handout]

Melbourne Pools Alliance - MPA Here to Stay

www.melbournepools.com


Who Are We?

The Melbourne Pools Alliance (MPA) is a collection of hard working communities who are protesting about the loss of community funded and built swimming pools in the local areas of Sunshine, Footscray and Oakleigh.

All communities are in safe ALP seats which demonstrates that loyalty and commitment count for nothing. The seats require the following swings to get a change of thinking on these pools:

• Footscray 28% (pool site sold 2005)
• Sunshine 25% (outdoor pools demolished in 2006)
• Oakleigh 15% (outdoor pools closed 2006)

Why are we Here?

Local Councils and the State government would never support the loss of community football grounds as they understand the community health and wellbeing benefits they provide.

So why are the Councils and the Bracks government allowing our community funded and built swimming pools to be sold, closed or only inadequately replaced in these communities where the need for active recreation options for youth, families, older people and schools is higher than most other areas?

Sport used to be seen as the great leveller - but not any more in our communities. This to us is a very Unfair Victoria.

Particularly when the Bracks government can find $20M for a Zoo seal pool, $104M for a underused Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, $40M for temporary 2007 World Swim Championships pools at Rod Laver Arena due to the Grand Prix standoff, and, $150M for self promoting advertising in the upcoming elections.

What does the Evidence Show?

- The State government’s Better Pools funding model of $1 for every $3 Council dollars means poorer communities cant afford expensive capital works like proper swimming pool complexes.

- That obesity, diabetes and other health and wellbeing problems in communities like ours are in part attributable to a lack of opportunities to cycle, walk, swim and participate in active sport and recreation. There is a need to improve local environments to increase physical activity (University of Melbourne VicLANES study).

- $85M in pokies tax is taken from these communities each year and virtually none returned

What do we Want?

• A fair go for our families and kids and their kids futures
• Proper swimming pools and other sports facilities for all ages - just like everyone else
• A State government funding model that treats swimming pools and leisure centres as better health centres and fund their construction 100% just like community health centres.

Help Us by doing your bit to convince Bracks and our Councils to properly fix our pools.

[The Suleyman Legacy]

This is the pool that was supposed to come to Sunshine but the Suleyman faction chose instead to penalise the Sunshine community for daring to expose its rorts by denying it this cost effective and wonderful community development opportunity.

This lost opportunity will be known forever around Sunshine as the Suleyman Legacy and will remind everyone of the faction's negative, non strategic and punitive political approach at the expense of community when Council's own research is showing that it is needed more than ever.

Straight from the Melbourne Pool Alliance source:


....".....Melbourne is hosting the 2007 World Swimming Championships early next year. 2 temporary de-mountable pools will be used and then given away to 2 pre-selected Victorian councils. Frankston has already been selected as one of the receiving councils.

- Justin Madden, Vic Minister for Sports & Rec, and our local member, Rob Hudson, will announce at 3pm tomorrow, outside the East Bentleigh Pool that E.B is the preferred recipient for the 2nd pool and that State Govt is waiting for Glen Eira Council to accept the offer.

GE Council are mainly Liberal and seem unwilling to take the free pool and make a Labour Rep look good before the election. If GE Council does not accept the free pool in the next week or 2 it will go to another council. News papers will be there to cover the announcement as well as some Olympic swimmers to make it more newsworthy...."....

and then....

...."...After a call back from Glen Eira Council, it seems that Council is supportive of taking up the State Govt offer for a free 50m Pool and Pump/Filtration plant for East Bentleigh, subject to completing a preliminary feasiblity study.

It seems that the Local-State Govt discussion has been prolonged due to funding and organising the feasiblity study and that politics are being put aside to focus on getting new pools for East Bentleigh ASAP.

The people of Sunshine will never forget the Suleyman Legacy and the wilful demolition of the 50M pool it funded and built without plans to replace it. And then reneging on the trade union movement about making a submission in 06 07 for the free replacement pool to a Minister who had publicly called for it.

And the ALP is an ass for allowing this injustice to occur without stepping in.

[Suleyman Legacy 2]

another piece of info from the Melbourne Pool Alliance

What the ethical and well run Glen Eira Council did was consult, listen and act on the community's wishes not its own original wishes..

Read on

..."...4-Sep-06: Council Votes to Improve Both Pools

Approx 100 Pool supporters attended the Glen Eira Council meeting on Monday 4th September 2006.

Council voted 7 to 2 to:

“Adopt a strategic objective to achieve Option ‘6A’ in the report presented to Council by Lateral Projects, ie

An all-year-round, outdoor/indoor facility, catering for all age groups, in the most central available location for the community as a whole (Koornang Park) and

A complementary facility in Bailey Reserve with an outdoor, seasonal, aquatic facility, including a 50 metre pool and family aquatic facilties (eg: toddler and learner pools, open grassy & shaded surrounds ...) and indoor multi-use courts.

Implement the strategic objective according to available resources, other community needs and the community’s capacity to pay.”

And

“As the first stage, authorize the preparation of a Brief for Design (ie not construction). The Brief for Design shall include … aquatic recreation for Koornang Park … aquatic facilities for Bailey Reserve encompassing only aquatic facilities initially, future staged construction of the stadium component. The existing swim centres at the respective sites are to continue to operate pending commencement of construction of the respective new facilities.”

Councilors voting for: Michael Lipshutz, Helen Whiteside, Margaret Esakoff, Steven Tang, David Feldman, Nick Staikos, Kate Ashmor.

Councilors voting against: Jacquie Robilliard, Robert Spaulding.

This means – this council will not be closing the East Bentleigh pool. In fact councilors stated the resolution gives equal priority to both aquatic centres to proceed into the design phase. The council has not committed to proceed beyond Design but will consider that step post- design “in the context of a new Strategic Resource Plan, taking into account the other expenditure needs and the Community’s capacity to pay”. The Northern Memorial Action Group will continue to offer assistance to Council and carefully monitor council’s progress with the goal of redeveloping the East Bentleigh aquatic centre in good time.

A deep thankyou to all of you who have supported this huge effort to keep our pools. Hopefully Council will be able to complete the design phase quickly and them immediately commence construction of the 2 new pool complexes.

Deep thanks also to Glen Eira Council for its public consultations this year, enabling the community to voice its ardent desire to keep both pools, and for now acting on the community's desire to keep and improve both pools...."......

Don't expect this from an unethical and anti Sunshine Brimbank Council.

[Save Sunshine Pool]

The difference between Glen Eira and Brimbank.

Brimbank - 10 Labor Councillors all following the Safe Seat Do Nothing Party Line

Glen Eira - Only 1 Labor Councillor - Liberal dominated.

Crazy that Bracks is rewarding people for voting Liberal.

The clear message Madden and Bracks are sending:

VOTE LABOR AND GET NOTHING
_________________
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!

[Ned Story]

http://www.moorabbingleneiraleader.com.au/article/2006/10/18/6124_mgv_news.html

[MPA Support Oakleigh]

Consultation delays frustrate pool campaigners

http://www.oakleighmonashleader.com.au/article/2006/10/17/5992_wov_news.html



Letter to the Editor:

I read the story on consultation delays with the Oakleigh Pool with a very real sense of deja vu.

The Oakleigh Pool story is a replica of the Sunshine Pool story only a decade or so later.

We in Sunshine have seen 14 summers pass without our community funded and built outdoor pools being fllled with water. CONsultation is what we call it these days as the outcomes bear no resemblance to what the community asked for.

Back in 1992 I had a young family of five. They are now all adults and have really missed out on the enjoyment of an outdoor summer swim with the family picnics on the lawns under the trees. Our whole community still grieves at the loss of a great community asset.

Today our community pools lie in ruins having been recently demolished with no plans to replace them.

Sunshine's youth are becoming more aggro and having social problems. New migrant groups are having trouble assimilating into their new community. Large numbers of our people are inactive and obese with diabetes, coronary and cancer issues rising steadily.

The outdoor pools used to help with all of this but no more. Social networking, fitness, flirting and fun fun fun.

Beware of the delayed CONsultation - once the first summer passes the die is set. "We got by. We didn't really need the pools..." the politicians will say. And then the Steering Committee comes up with a half baked scheme that will exclude groups of people and limit the social and swimming experiences.

Be active and vocal in your campaigning this long hot summer. Let them know your anger now. The best place to start is at the ballot box as nothing else works. Let the politicians responsible for allowing this to happen know how you really feel straight away and give them a kick in the political butt.

Its the only way to get your Oakleigh Pools back for future generations to enjoy.

We are happy to help you anytime as we know your pain and really appreciate the support your campaigners have been giving us through the Melbourne Pools Alliance.

John Hedditch
Sunshine Community Pool Action Group

[In The Know]

Don't you guys know? Haven't you figured it out yet?

They have a handbook that tells them EXACTLY how to put you groups on the never, never.

Jump through this hoop. Wait for this report. Wait, assess, wait, report, report, then assess, consult, assess the consult, then when you think your nearly there - do a backflip - dig the heels in, ignore all the assessments, ignore all the reports, ignore all the CONsultation, ignore, ignore, ignore and say NO - so there.

The labor party have a hand book on this I know, I've seen it done time and again. Admitedly on different projects not just the pools in Melbourne. When are you guys going to wake up sooner - rather than later.

The Councillor's comments in the local paper regarding the Oakleigh Pool reek of deception and the following of the Labor Handbook to hoodwink and deflect groups like you.

Wake up and smell the chlorine!!!! It's sad but true.

[Oakleigh Age Letter]

http://www.theage.com.au/letters/?page=4

Oakleigh Pool closure is a direct replica of what has happened in Sunshine - only a decade later - same storyline.

Old pools that have been demolished (Sunshine) and need replacing or repairing (Oakleigh) are vital to healthy communities.

The evidence base now coming from the VICLanes research is unarguable. All that is needed is for the ALP to do something to fix these crimes against community in both areas.

The research evidence shows the health and wellbeing of these communities - our children and families - is suffering badly as a direct result of the pool closures.

Wake up Brimbank Council, Monash Council and the Bracks ALP government you are supposed to be looking after us.

Repairing old pools as vital as building new ones

IT IS fantastic to see both the Minister for Education and the Opposition education spokesman agreeing that access to pools could help tackle obesity and prevent unnecessary drownings ("Pools for schools drive," 15/10). So frustrating then, that the Monash Council cannot seem to see the benefits of maintaining a pool in the Oakleigh community.

It is not only new, outer, growth suburbs that need infrastructure support. Oakleigh is a classic example.

We have a pool complex, built by the community more than 60 years ago, that has been run into the ground by the Monash Council. Our community is in grave danger of losing the pool due to the short-sightedness of the council, which can only see the cost of repair and improvement and not the value.

There are 11 local schools that support the retention of the Oakleigh pool and would use it for carnivals and lessons if it were upgraded.

They are both government and private schools and none has their own pool. Does it make sense in an age when water is so precious to build pools in each of these schools, or would it make more sense to give these schools access to improved shared resources?

With the rationalisation of schools over the past two decades, many students travel to other suburbs for school and the local pool has become a vital melting pot for them to get to know other local kids in their community.

The pool is considered a neutral zone, where rivalries are put on hold and kids that normally wouldn't get along somehow do.

Wake up Monash Council — recognise the massive social positive that our pool provides.

DAMIAN DAVINE, Oakleigh