Mayor pushes for a pool decision

By Paul Dunlop
CARDINIA Shire mayor Bill Ronald has said the council is poised to decide on plans to fix the old Pakenham pool amid a forecast that it is “eminently repairable”.
But a debate looms over the decision with councillor Bill Pearson warning colleagues he won’t vote to fix it unless the price is right.
With the longrunning question mark on the pool’s future soon to be settled, Cr Ronald said the final decision may be the subject of a special council meeting.
The mayor and Ranges Ward councillor Ed Chatwin last week visited a pool under repair at Warracknabeal. They returned confident that the Pakenham facility can be repaired.
“Their pool is 10 years older than ours and the experts working on that job believe Pakenham’s pool is very fixable,” Cr Ronald said.
Fixing the 40yearold pool was a preelection platform for most of the new councillors and Cr Ronald, who has been a vocal supporter of the pool restoration bid.
A sum of $750,000 was allocated in the council’s 200607 budget.
The council has sought expressions of interest from companies willing to repair the 50metre facility which was closed after it was declared unsafe in 2001.
But it remains to be seen how all councillors will vote on the issue.
Cr Pearson has fired an early shot in the debate, saying he would not support the pool being fixed at any cost.
Cr Pearson supported the council’s recent move to seek funding from the State Government’s Better Pools program for the proposed refurbishment.
But he questioned whether spending hundreds of thousands of ratepayer dollars on the old pool could be justified after the council had just spent $11.3 million on the new Cardinia LiFE aquatic and recreation centre.
“I stand by what I said at the election. I said I didn’t support the pool being repaired if it went over $400,000,” Cr Pearson said.
“I was severely criticised at that time but I have stuck to my guns and the figures that are now being talked about are way over that,” he said.
“This is not a done deal yet,” he said.
Cr Pearson’s comments were prompted by forecasts at the council’s August meeting that the total repair cost for the Anderson Street facility could be even higher than budgeted.
It has been speculated that further improvements could be made, including solar heating and upgrades to outbuildings.
Cr Ed Chatwin said the outdoor pool had been a major issue in the community and “had to be refurbished”.
“We need a 50 metre pool deep enough to swim in,” Cr Chatwin said.
Cr Ronald said the pool was built and paid for by Pakenham residents and despite claims it was beyond repair it had been shown by an independent assessment to be “highly restorable”.
Cr Ronald said companies had shown interest in restoring the pool and outbuildings.
The council has said its decision, one way or another, will be made before November.