A local group has called on Tamworth Regional Council “to re-think how the proposed aquatic facility will be paid for” but are now claiming that ratepayers and residents concerns are being “completely ignored.”
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Earlier this year the Save The Pools (STP) sub-committee formed out of the Tamworth Regional Residents and Ratepayers Association (TRRRA), hoping to air concerns over the cost, location, accessibility and “lack of objective community consultation” in council’s proposed Aquatic Facility.
The facility is proposed to be built at the Sports Dome for a cost of between $40-60 million, with council proposing to sell off the two existing pools in City Olympic and Scully Park to private developers.
In September the committee met with council to discuss the concerns of ratepayers and residents, before a full submission was handed to general manager Paul Bennett, mayor Col Murray and councillors on October 9 which outlined nine key concerns.
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The ratepayers group said that submission had been met by “a wall of silence”, with STP president David McKinnon claiming the concerns are “being totally ignored”.
“The intention by Council to sell the two existing pools is concerning on a number of levels,” he said.
“The needs of the average recreational pool user, especially those without private transport, have not been fully considered.
“We have no objection to the aspiration to build a brand new aquatic facility but are asking that Council conduct further, impartial and objective, consultation processes to determine what the whole community needs are.”
While council did not respond to specific questions asked by The Leader late Tuesday afternoon, they did release a statement which said that “council has committed to working with the community to explore the design and cost to build a recreation and leisure facility to accommodate generations to come”.
“We have been actively consulting for well over a year, and we have been transparent in all of our conversations with the community.
“The community need to decide if the TRRA are their voice in this discussion or whether we can progress to the next step and showcase concept designs for widespread input.”
Earlier this year council did open a community consultation period asking the public what they would like to see at the new facility, however the TRRRA accused council of failing to ask “if residents are willing to see both existing pools sold off”.
Last month council launched a phone poll “to ask specific questions to gauge the community’s support around the sale of the two existing pools to fund a new purpose-built facility.”
Council did not alert local media or the TRRRA that further consultation was underway, and also declined to respond to questions from The Leader regarding the reach and timeline of the survey.
After viewing the questions and multiple choice options Mr McKinnon again labelled the consultation “unobjective” and more “sales pitch than survey.”
The committee is urging anyone concerned about the proposal to contact a councillor.
Please see council’s full statement below, as well as the transcript of TRC’s phone survey.
Statement from TRC spokesperson:
“At council’s encouragement, the TRRA have now met with operational staff involved in the preparation for the Aquatic Centre business case, and they have presented their concerns to all councillors in a dedicated workshop.
During these discussions, the validity of survey data used by both parties was challenged. The TRRA were advised (at that time) that Council had appointed an independent research company to undertake a qualitative community survey to better understand community satisfaction rates around the services and facilities it delivers.
The TRRA openly challenged us to include the aquatic centre proposal in this survey and to ask specific questions to gauge to the community’s support around the sale of the two existing pools to fund a new purpose-built facility, and their preferred location for the new facility.
Council met this challenge and still the TRRA are not satisfied.
We used a professional research company with an impressive reputation for delivering complex survey projects for all levels of government and the private sector but this doesn’t meet with TRRA‘s approval.
Council has committed to working with the community to explore the design and cost to build a recreation and leisure facility to accommodate generations to come. We have been actively consulting for well over a year, and we have been transparent in all of our conversations with the community. The community need to decide if the TRRA are their voice in this discussion or whether we can progress to the next step and showcase concept designs for widespread input”
Phone Survey Transcript:
Aquatic Centre
Currently Tamworth has two outdoor seasonal pools that are at the end of their operational life with rising maintenance costs and limited functionality. The aquatic and recreational needs of the community have changed over the last 50 years. On this basis Council is considering a new indoor/outdoor year round facility that is more than a pool.
It will be a facility that provides a social hub for activity, fun, health & wellbeing for the whole community and includes indoor and/or outdoor pools pool/s, gymnasium, kids water park area, cafeteria and a health hub.
Q10a. Prior to this call were you aware that Council considering developing a new aquatic centre?
O Yes
O No
Q10b. How supportive are you of the provisions of a new Aquatic & Leisure facility?
O Very supportive
O Supportive
O Somewhat supportive
O Not very supportive
O Not at all supportive
10c. Why do you say that?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
In order to access the funding required to deliver a new Aquatic & Leisure facility, Council will need to sell its two current pool facilities.
10d. How supportive are you of Council selling these facilities?
O Very supportive
O Supportive
O Somewhat supportive
O Not very supportive
O Not at all supportive
10e. Why do you say that?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If it were to proceed, the location currently preferred for the new facility is the Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence Precinct, however Council is aware that some sections of the community want the facility to be located closer to the town centre. Council would like to understand your preference.
10f. Would you prefer the facility to be located in the Sporting Excellence Precinct or somewhere else in the region?
O Northern Inland Centre of Sporting Excellence Precinct
O Somewhere else (Please specify………………….)
O Don’t know/ No preference
