ARARAT - The future of Ararat's Solar Olympic Pool is still undecided following last Tuesday's council meeting, where a motion for a $2.5 million staged upgrade was deafeated.
Council had allowed $450,000 in this year's budget for immediate upgrades to allow the pool to open for this summer season, however a report from consultants recommended that the works needed would not allow it to open this year.
Councillors Gwenda Allgood, John Cunningham and Murray Woods voted for the motion, however it was defeated when the three remaining councillors at the meeting, councillors Andrea Marian, Colin McKenzie and Anne Marshall voted against it, the Mayor's casting vote quashing the recommendation.
Cr Murray Woods said he believed that if the pool was closed it would never open again.
"It's a very big asset to Ararat Rural City," he said.
"If we put money into it, a bit at a time, we'll get there. If it's closed I don't think we'll ever see it open."
Cr Colin McKenzie said he was on record as supporting the $440,000 to get the pool open this year, but indicated that the figure had blown out.
"This figure hasn't just doubled it has multiplied by many times and it is now out of reach of what we can afford as a municipality of 12,000 people," he said.
"The city is serviced by a pool, an indoor pool, which many municipalities fight for. The only type of pool the state government will now put money towards is a pool that's indoors that can be used all year around.
"Very reluctantly I would have to say that I can't support putting money into this pool."
Cr Anne Marshall agreed with Cr McKenzie.
She said the Ararat pool had served the community for 53 years and would be a loss to community.
"But as a member of this council we only endorsed a loan of $450,000 and I really think $1 million is just beyond the pale.
"If councils in the future or next year want to put this within the budget I think that might be up to them. I don't see the pool will be lost in a year.
"If we want to put it in the budget, if the community wants it, they will certainly let us know I'm sure. I would see if we do this the Alexandra Oval upgrade will be lost and I would see the Alexandra Oval upgrade will probably benefit more people than the pool."
Mayor Cr Andrea Marian said she had always been an 'incredible fan of that pool'.
"My thoughts have always been that if it is going to serve this community well it should morph into an indoor facility and not remain an outdoor pool, so it would take over the role of the indoor pool down the road and we would have one facility, that's always been my perception of where that pool and its development should head," Cr Marian said.
"I have grave concerns about this community's ability to repay the money, I'm with Councillor Marshall, I was quite committed to the $450,000 commitment of council to be an achievable amount that this community could responsibly pay back and that this council ask this community to be part of paying back as well.
"As a person who is concerned about high rate rises in this municipality this was of grave concern to me that we didn't outstretch our funding capability, ie, supplementing projects like this on very high rate bases.
"I think that within the decision tonight there's certainly opportunity for this community to voice its wants, needs and desires to see this pool remain open if it is its want, need and desire and express to this council exactly how it feels.
"I'm very concerned about this, very concerned about going head long into this commitment without fully engaging the financial repercussions. We haven't done any figures on what those returns and what those interest rates will cost this community and for me to vote in favour of such a large step for this council to impose on its community it would be neglectful for me as a responsible councillor representing this community to make that decision without knowing all those full implications to this community and to this council."
With the motion defeated, Cr John Cunningham moved a second motion that officers prepare a report about how a staged project can be funded, what actions the community can take in relation to the project and what needs to be put in place for the pool to open for the 2012/2013 summer season.
"I too believe that if this pool closes and there is no intention for works to happen to go forward for it to reopen, it won't reopen again," he said.
"We've been told on numerous occasions by state and federal government they're not going to throw money at an outdoor aquatic facility as long as the indoor pool is in operation and it's got 20 plus years of operation ahead of it."
Cr Cunningham said the recommendation would give officers time to tell council how it could fund first of all $1 million and then $1.5m over a longer period for the pool to be a valuable asset for the next 20 years.
This motion was carried unanimously.
Cr Marian said the issue was a great lesson in asset renewal and asset management.
"Let's hope that future councils take that on board because this has been a doozy and obviously neglected for many many years and when you get left with a very passionate situation like this - we know what people think of the pool, but we also know people don't want to pay lots of money in rates - it's a really hard decision, this is probably one of the hardest this council has made in its life," Cr Marian said.
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