4 February 2011

People of Gungahlin, would you like a big pool or a small pool?

| johnboy
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3d concept plan

Territory And Municipal Services have started a public consultation on whether to build a 25 metre pool in Gungahlin or a proper 50 metre one.

There’s a page of concept plans.

Two public drop-in information sessions will be held at the Canberra Raiders Club (Cnr Gozzard and Hibberson Streets) in the Town Centre from 12 noon to 1.30 pm and from 6.30 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday 9 February 2011.

The concept plans will also be displayed at the Gungahlin Library, corner of Ernest Cavanagh Street and Gungahlin Place, Gungahlin.

Feedback on the preferred plans can be emailed to communityengagement@act.gov.au or mailed to Gungahlin Leisure Centre Options, GPO Box 158, Civic, ACT 2601.

UPDATE: Andrew Barr has put out a media release detailing all the cool things that might be lost if a bigger pool is selfishly pursued:

The study involved consultation with community and stakeholder groups and identified the future features of the Leisure Centre, which will be vitally important for meeting a wide range of sporting and recreational needs for the Gungahlin community, expected to reach a population of 50,000 by 2014.

As well as the main pool, the centre is proposed to include a 20-metre program pool, a gymnasium, flexible activity program rooms, childcare and a café.

The size of the main pool will have implications in the way the centre is designed and operates, how much it costs to build and run. It will also affect the way spaces can be used and activities programmed.

The Gungahlin Leisure Centre will be located on a 1.5 hectare site in a ‘wellness precinct’ along with Gungahlin College and the future Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.

The consultation ends on 2 March.

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Gungahlin Al said :

Perhaps Ian you’ve not patronised these venues recently? They are chokko. Plus, we are not talking about now. We are talking about a facility for the next 20 years. Over which time Belco facilities will be under far more pressure as 50-60,000 people move into Molonglo. And during which Gungahlin will greet another 50,000 people. So, what we have at Belco already is perfectly ample already you were saying?

+1 Al.

Meanwhile was fun to hear Mr Barr on the radio this morning, in advance of tonights meeting, saying ti was pretty obvious that the people of Gungahlin wanted a 50 meter pool but the consultation was as much about the other facilities to be provided at the site as it was about the length of the pool. Yeah, sure it is. Looking at the floor plans there’s so much difference between them beyond the pool length…

Surprises me that there is discussion of a netball etc court space in this facility – the courts at CISAC were turned over to further gym floorspace.

Gungahlin Al10:21 pm 07 Feb 11

Ian said :

merlin bodega said :

. It would be difficult to imagine any urban collective in the country the size of Gungahlin without many of the municipal services it is lacking, including a public swimming pool.

Speaking specifically of a public pool, however, its unlikely that many such places also have 3 perfectly functional pools within 15 mins drive – AIS, CISAC and Dickson.

Perhaps Ian you’ve not patronised these venues recently? They are chokko.
Plus, we are not talking about now. We are talking about a facility for the next 20 years. Over which time Belco facilities will be under far more pressure as 50-60,000 people move into Molonglo. And during which Gungahlin will greet another 50,000 people.

So, what we have at Belco already is perfectly ample already you were saying?

Yep. See this being built like the Gungahlin Drive Extension. Do it right the first time around and build 50 metres. What in the world is a ‘wellness precinct’ supposed to be?

If we’re going all out here can they drill for hot springs build an onsen? Just the thing for cold Canberra winters.

Nevermind the pool, how about planting some trees around the shopping precinct to give some shade.

Gee I wonder what the people of the Gunge are going to say. Please ACT Government, build me a 25m pool.

Why do they bother, of course they will want a 50m pool, consultation is just a way of delaying the start of construction.

LSWCHP said :

Forget pools. This place is just too cold most of the year for it to be worthwhile. What this city really needs is a good indoor shooting range.

We’ve got one, you just can’t use it

Sepi, Don’t just say “I want a 50m pool”. Put up the community health benefits of exercising in longer lanes, and that it is VERY important to you and may affect your vote. And compare the cost of a 50m pool with the money spent on the glass sculpture that is falling apart and having to be surreptitiously fixed at great expense (this told to me by a Glassworks employee) on top of the Glassworks.

merlin bodega said :

. It would be difficult to imagine any urban collective in the country the size of Gungahlin without many of the municipal services it is lacking, including a public swimming pool.

Speaking specifically of a public pool, however, its unlikely that many such places also have 3 perfectly functional pools within 15 mins drive – AIS, CISAC and Dickson.

Forget pools. This place is just too cold most of the year for it to be worthwhile. What this city really needs is a good indoor shooting range.

Gungahlin Al has summed things up perfectly. I’ve been to the website and obtained an email address. I have emailed my thoughts to the relevant people.

An interesting place to hold a public meeting. Hope I dont have to be a member of the Raiders Club to attend….

And yes, I want a 50m pool.

An interesting location to hold a public meeting. Hope I dont have to be a member of the Raiders Club to attend…..

JustThinking5:57 pm 04 Feb 11

wow in 2008 they promised and it is now 2011 and some are discussing it??
Like getting a quote for your car at $120 then picking it up to find it is $700….and nothing you wanted fixed has been fixed.
50M pool with all accessories thanks…

Gungahlin Al4:53 pm 04 Feb 11

The issue here is pretty simple. Prior to the 2008 election, Jon Stanhope and Andrew Barr made a clear and unambiguous promise to the people of Gungahlin, as is still available on this media release from 4 August 2008.

Gungahlin residents to benefit from new 50m pool complex</b?

Labor Member for Molonglo and Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Andrew Barr today announced a re-elected Stanhope Government will build a pool and indoor leisure centre for the Gungahlin community.

Mr Barr said the Government is currently investigating the scope of the centre which will include a 50 metre pool, a 25 metre pool at least 1 court space, for example a netball court and associated amenities such as a café and gymnasium."

Interestingly, the next day they pooh poohed the ACT Liberals’ ability to deliver on their counter promise, and reiterated the ALP promise in even more definite language:

“Yesterday Chief Minister Jon Stanhope and Mr Barr announced a re-elected Stanhope Government will build an indoor recreational facility in Gungahlin that will include a 50 metre pool, a 25 metre pool, at least 1 court space, for example a netball court, and associated amenities such as a café and gymnasium.”

“…will build…” Not a lot of room for confusion there…

GCC has been growing increasingly concerned over the last 8 months about the apparent back-pedalling by Andrew Barr on this issue.

We acknowledge that 50m pools cost a bit to operate, but so do all community facilities. To base this decision on the ability of a centre to turn a profit is to totally lose sight of the government’s role in delivering equitable community services across the ACT, as all local governments strive to do. It’s not as if we ever say that libraries should have to turn a profit to be considered – why should it be so for pools? In fact, it could be argued that the previous exercises with outsourcing management of Canberra’s pool centres have not been particularly glowing examples.

Gungahlin has a population of some 43,000, up from 31,000 when I started with GCC just 4.5 years ago. Andrew Barr has acknowledged that it will hit 50,000 within the next 3 years, and the reality is that the accelerated land release will mean we will be well on towards the design population of 100,000 before we know it.

And with population densities far higher than anywhere else in Canberra, our recreational facilities become all the more important to compensate for our lack of back yards and play spaces.

Land use in the Gungahlin town centre is incredibly tight and we have had an uphill battle fitting all the needs for the college (open Monday!), library, oval and aquatic centre within the very limited space available. We have one site only for this centre so it has to built properly first time.

We are building a city for the future, and this is not the place to be playing wedge politics.

So is there anything I need to say in my email to them beyond ‘I would prefer a 50m pool’.

What would sway them the most – an email, letter, or turning up to the consultation thingy?

This is just wasteful spending.
Can’t the government see that what Gungalinites really need and want is a monorail?

Mothy said :

If you’re going to do something, do it right the FIRST time. One wonders how many times Gungahlin has to get screwed before the folks in charge figure that one out.

Ask the people in Tuggeranong what they think of their ’50m’ pool.

Parallels with the Gungahlin Drive Extension. Let’s build one lane/25 metres now, and then at enormous expense, add another lane/25 metres later. Oh but leave just enough time for all of the construction site services (such as the site office, fenced off works areas) to be removed, and then pay to bring all of that back on to site.

Perhaps as an alternative they could build a 4 or 5 lane 50 metre pool, then add the rest later?

yeah Dickson pool rocks

Not sure I like the threat implicit in the timing question;

“The ACT Government needs to fully analyse the feasibility study and the results of the community feedback on the preferred option for the pool size before assessing development and management options.”

i.e. Ask for a proper pool (well done there Johnboy) and we might just drag our feet on getting it started.

The cost differential is stuff all in terms of the overall project, and it’s explicit in the Q&A’s provided that the additional cost will be passed on to the end users anyway – “The fees have not been confirmed yet. They will depend on which option is developed”.

If you’re going to do something, do it right the FIRST time. One wonders how many times Gungahlin has to get screwed before the folks in charge figure that one out.

merlin bodega2:05 pm 04 Feb 11

Its great to at last see an attempt at consultation on the issue, even if it has taken 20 years. It would be difficult to imagine any urban collective in the country the size of Gungahlin without many of the municipal services it is lacking, including a public swimming pool. Admittedly there is a small pool at Gold Creek that the ACT taxpayers had to pay for after the debacle that was Harcourt Hill (less said the better). So people of Gungahlin go for it and get involved in the consultation.

Eh, I’d probably end up still going to Dickson anyway. They have nice trees there.

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