NATIONALS SPLASH CASH ON POOL PROJECTS

By TIM HOWARD

Grafton swimmers have welcomed a NSW Nationals announcement to splash $10 million on swimming pools in the Clarence electorate ahead of the March 25 State Election.

The Nationals have pledged, if elected, to stump up $6 million for the Grafton Aquatic Centre and $4 million for the Casino Memorial Pool project.

The party’s candidate for the seat, former Clarence Valley Council mayor Richie Williamson, made the announcement last Tuesday outside the Grafton Olympic Pool, which has been closed since last summer.

For regular Grafton pool users, like the president of the Grafton District Services Club Swimming Club, Stephen Donnelly, the news was a shot in the arm at the end of a summer without an outdoor swimming pool in Grafton.

“It’s fantastic news,” Mr Donnelly said. “Anything that brings the project end date closer from 2024-25 is very welcome.”

He was philosophic about the council’s inability to transfer $11.1 million of grant funding from a project to demolish and rebuild the Treelands Drive Community Centre in Yamba to the pool project.

“It would have been nice, but in the end it was council being council,” he said.

“I don’t know what was in the council’s application to have it done, but in the end, if the government says ‘no’, then you just have to get on with it another way.”

Clarence Valley Mayor Ian Tiley was another who welcomed the pledge from the Nationals, although he said he would be looking for Labor to match it.

“I will be onto Leon Ankersmit (the ALP candidate for Clarence) today to see what he can do to match it,” Cr Tiley said.

He said the Nationals pledge, plus the BLER funding would have been “wonderful”.

“Those two together would have just about got us across the line, but it wasn’t to be,” he said.

Cr Tiley said.

“But this announcement is still fantastic news and gets us halfway there.

“We already had about $6 million,

Government and from the council’s own funds, $3.8 million and the profit from the sale of the tourist information re another $880,000.”

Cr Tiley said that as he spoke, contractors were on site at the pool for a compulsory meeting with council staff about project will close on April 14, construction will commence in June of this year.

“It will be a seamless, three-stage effort and the reason stage 1 is where it is, is primarily safety and access reasons.” government was returned on March 25 or not he would continue to fight for the funds to complete the pool.

The mayor thanked Mr Williamson and the Nationals for the pledge, but pointed out there would be at least another $10 million needed for the project and the council would need to come back to the incoming government for more funds, or approach the Federal Government for assistance.

Mr Williams said the community had told him “loud and clear” how important their 50 metre pool was to them.

“I will represent their case very strongly in Sydney so we in the bush get our fair share.” deliver the projects they require,” he said.

Mr Williamson also threw down the gauntlet to the Federal Government to match the state’s input.

“If we’re re-elected on March 25 our total commitment to the project is $7.5 million and it would be terrific if the Federal Government could come and match that,” he said.

He listed projects like the Pacific Highway upgrade, the new Grafton Bridge, the recent $10 million to lift flood prone areas of Yamba Rd and the $5 million for the Harwood Bridge clover leaf as evidence the Nationals delivered.

But the ALP candidate Leon Ankersmit warned voters to read the “fine print” the promise.

“The Nationals have promised $6m for the Grafton Pool. Here is the fine print,” he said.

“Four years ago they promised $263.8m for the hospital redevelopment, but only managed to deliver $1m.

“That’s equal to 0.38 of 1% of their commitment honoured.

“So, if the Nationals win government in March, and we see no more than $22,800 of the pool promise, they will say they have kept their promise to the people of Clarence.” which included $1.5 million from the State the process.

Mr Ankersmit said the pool was a vital piece of infrastructure and would be a top priority for him as the Member for Clarence.

“Tenders for the whole

“I was able to secure the funding fo $6 million and that’s what a good local candidate – and if I’m lucky enough a good local member – should do,” he said.

He said whether the

Mr Williamson said the pledge would help convince voters the Nationals were the party who stood up for people in NSW.

“The people in the Clarence understand that when it comes to their local representative in the parliament, they want someone who will fight for them in Sydney and

“I will work with the local councils in our district to get the infrastructure they need, including pools and water filtration and sewerage systems and so much more,” he said.

“I don’t have a glossy promise to deliver today. I have the ambition to deliver every day for the people of Clarence and I am already working on the tasks that are ahead.”