WED 5 mar 2014
Printed on 100% recycled paper
Ash Grunwald
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT
Trades & Services Need help at your place this weekend? p.38-42
Don’t let our clubs die Local swimming groups fear private operator charges will force them out Amelia Parrott
Back on the road again p.25
Council opposes Whitebridge development p.3
NRL 2014 One-on-one interview with Knights coach Wayne Bennett
p.46
@amelia_parrott
I
t was behind closed doors last Tuesday night that Newcastle City Council resolved to open all five of its inland swimming pools to expressions of interest - a decision that opponents believe will leave local swimming clubs and staff worse off. Wallsend Swimming Club president, Lynn Philpott told the Post the club would likely be “priced out” if the pool fell into the hands of a private operator, forcing the largest swimming club in the region to disband. “In our experience private operators charge around $20 an hour per lane,” she explained. “We need seven lanes and we train for three and a half hours when we are here on Friday nights. The cost adds up quite quickly and our members wouldn’t be able to afford that.” Mrs Philpott and Robin Pugh, head of fundraising at the Wallsend Swimming Club, both said the process had left the club with a great deal of uncertainty. Mrs Philpott said she only found about Council’s plans to undergo an open tender process after being told in confidence by a Council staff member and had not been contacted directly by Council to discuss the future of the pool. A week before Tuesday night’s meeting, Council published an article on its website announcing it was “reviewing options for future management of inland pool facilities.” Newcastle Labor Councillor Jason Dunn said the move was yet another example of Council neglecting the outer suburbs. “There is already a serious problem with outer suburb neglect by this Council and I believe this decision will only add to this problem,” he told the Post. “Council are using their latest attendance
Wallsend Swimming Club president, Lynn Philpott, Newcastle Councillor Jason Dunn and Wallsend Swimming Club head of fundraising, Robin Pugh at Wallsend Swimming Centre figures to support their argument for the outsourcing of our inland pools. These figures fail to take into account the fact that Council has slashed the opening hours of our smaller pools during the same period.” Cr Dunn also expressed concern over Council calling for tenders before the completion of the Beresfield Master Plan, which concerns the use of Lindsay Memorial Park, Beresfield Swimming Centre and Beresfield
Bowling Club, and an investigation into land use around Wallsend Swimming Centre, saying Council was “throwing good money after bad, which the city can hardly afford.” Council’s statement management of its inland pools states “options for the future management must consider the fact that all Council’s inland swimming centres have ageing infrastructure and rising maintenance costs”.
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