$20 million for the Gungahlin Pool

Good decision but what about other area’s of Canberra? the south side is vastly under-serviced compared to the north side! what is really needed is small facility in Weston Creek as that suburb goes through the cycle of older people followed by a mini-baby boom plus the inner south needs a decent facility (Oasis doesn’t cut it) and Tuggeranong pool is always over-crowded in peak times so a satellite facility around Lanyon seems sensible.

Given that more than 50% of Canberra population live SOUTH of the central lake, and given that the North already has tons more pool space (see below) i’m not sure this project should be the highest on the governments list of pool priorities at this point in time…

South Canberra

Pool Lanes Total Metres
Manuka* 6 x 30 180
Deakin Oasis 6 x 50 300
Phillip 7 x 50 350
Tuggeranong 8 x 50 400
Tuggeranong** 3 x 27 81
Erindale 4 x 25 100
Total 1411
* Unsuitbale for for competitive swimming
** Used for family swimming and learn to swim

North Canberra
Pool Lanes Total Metres
Civic (main pool) 8 x 50 400
Civic (Dive pool) 6 x 20 120
Dickson 7 x 50 350
AIS* 8 x 50 400
AIS* 6 x 25 150
CISAC 10 x 50 500
CISAC** 4 x 25 100
Jamison 8 x 50 400
Kaleen 6 x 25 150
Gold Creek 4 x 20 80
Total 2650
* Doesn’t include new AIS training facility
** Used for recreation and learn to swim

ACT Population as @ 2007 (ABS): 339,865

North 168,420
South 171,153

Population under 15 years

There were 62,400 people aged under 15 years in the ACT at June 2005, making up 19.2% of the population. Nearly one-quarter of the populations of both Gungahlin-Hall SSD (23.9%) and Tuggeranong SSD (23.6%) were aged under 15 years. The SLAs with the highest proportion of population under 15 years were the Tuggeranong suburbs of Conder (31.1%) and Banks (29.1%). North Canberra SSD had the lowest proportion of people aged under 15 years at 13.5%, with Acton having only 1.7%

Been a few years since I went ice skating HA. But there is large scale light industry land available in Mitchell if it was a commercial proposition. I can’t see government chipping in for ice rinks though. Their attention seems more focused on ‘mainstream’ sports (and futsal).
Intrigued by your energy transfers idea…heat the pool, cool the ice?

HA said :

I wanna an ice rink in with the pool. The energy transfers are there, the need is there (have you seen what a dump and dangerous OH&S pothole the facility at Pjillip has been allowed to become), and the ice sports communities in Canberra from wherever won’t mind travelling a few extra minutes to get to a modern rink. Where are Labor or the Libs now?

looking at the dragway proposal….

I wanna an ice rink in with the pool. The energy transfers are there, the need is there (have you seen what a dump and dangerous OH&S pothole the facility at Pjillip has been allowed to become), and the ice sports communities in Canberra from wherever won’t mind travelling a few extra minutes to get to a modern rink. Where are Labor or the Libs now?

Two P&Cs + one special ed subcommittee = slightly overwhelmed at the moment

; )

but I will try and at least turn up to the meetings.

Cheers Granny!

PS: additional volunteers most gratefully accepted.

Well done to you and the team, Gungahlin Al!

: )

Thanks so much for all your hard work.

It must have been very discouraging at times, but the council has persevered through thick and thin to improve outcomes for Gungahlin residents.

There is still a long way to go, and it seems like every step forward has had to be hard-fought for facilities and infrastructure that other Canberrans have been handed on a plate, but it is so nice to get a win now and then.

The Liberals still refuse to commit to actually funding the aquatic centre:
http://www.canberraliberals.org.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=321&nav_cat_id=&nav_top_id=55

LG: that’s the design population for Gungahlin.
The Town Centre Planning Study mentions 50,000 by 2014, but with 34,000 now and the upcoming land releases, I’d suggest you’ll see it sooner than you’d expect.

Hence the Gungahlin Community Council’s urgency in pursue a catch-up with community infrastructure and an employment base – while appropriate land remains available. Without our campaigning, the LDA (under direction from the ACT Government of course) would have continued on its merry way burying all available land right up to the shopping centre under endless townhouses.

In April 2007, then Planning Minister Simon Corbell told us (via Ross Solly’s ABC666 program) that a 50m pool would need 100,000 people to be viable, and as we didn’t have anything like that as yet, it would be some time away. The message was that we’d likely have to put up with somewhat less. Our 2007 community survey had 83% of respondents telling us to not accept this and to continue to push for a 50m pool. And that’s what we’ve done in the 18 months since then.

So what is different this time around? We’ve been involved in a lot of master planning and design workshops with large numbers of ACT staff for each of the components of the college precint – the enclosed oval, the shared library, aquatuic complex and the college itself.

We know from this work that it is a serious commitment – it has only been a matter of scale and timing. We’ve said it needs to include a 50, 25 “learn to swim” pool and toddlers pool. On timing – yesterday’s announcement was along the lines of “within the next 4 years”. However the college will open for the 2010 school year, so there will be considerable pressure to complete the other components in short order as well. We have enjoyed a good working relationship with Sports and Planning Minister Andrew Barr, and I believe that this has helped lead to yesterday’s announcement. Likewise I believe that Andrew will be pushing hard for completion sooner rather than later.

Anyway – yesterday was a good day for Gungahlin.
And GCC folk Jonathon, Kevin, Barry and I had a very busy hour at the meet the ministers meeting afterwards chasing down a wide range of other things from footpaths to schools, to light rail and overhaul of suburb concept plans for better passive solar design, with reasonable hearings from all of the ministers present.

Jonathon Reynolds said :

The Gungahlin community has lobbied hard to ensure that an aquatic facility in the town centre would be appropriate for the anticipated needs and ultimate population of 100,000+ residents in Gungahlin.

100,000? When’s that planned to happen?