Confidential report suggests they are …
Defects of the town pool have been described as a “major issue” in a confidential report to the Town Council. Consideration of council matters in confidential sessions is on the table as an election issue, with mayoral candidate Eli Melky accusing council of doing too much business this way.
The report says the solar system has been leaking, despite having been repaired in early January,  and as such has been shut completely in order to prevent damage to the roof of the indoor complex.
High pressure in filter pots of the leisure pool “continues to be a major problem” and pool staff have “worked under crisis for most of the holiday period. The Plant remains a major problem,” says the report.
But the council’s technical services director, Greg Buxton, says the faults are being fixed by the builder, Sitzlers, under warranty, and at no cost to the council.
At no time was there any danger to pool users nor the public.
Despite the fault in the solar plant heating the pool water, the gas back-up wasn’t needed because of the summer temperatures.
“This needs to be running 100%, for the council and the YMCA,” says pool manager Iain Jones. The “Y” manages the pool under contract.
He says the second break-down of the solar heater has now also been fixed.
Without having access to the report I suppose I shouldn’t comment too much on the ills of our swimming complex. However is it just me and my competitive spirit or is there something strangely poetic about that wonderful photo of our Mayor, as published on the front of the town’s other paper, our Mayor floating in a bubble of [I like to think hot] air on our troubled pool, apparently blissfully unaware of the deterioration – non performing facilities surrounding him.
Personally, if I’d been asked to summarise Damien’s reign as Mayor I couldn’t think of a better way to portray it! Jokes aside, what the hell is subject matter like this doing locked up in “confidential”? I am always very concerned when mayors, pollies and bureaucrats of any kind become secretive. It’s arrogant snout in trough behaviour. It’s always about shielding incompetence and the precursor to hiding things much worse. Council acts pretty much as the body corporate for the town’s ratepayers. The business of council “is” the business of the ratepayers! There should be very few issues discussed that cannot be aired before the owners of the body corporate, the ratepayers! Should I win this contest and become the town’s next Mayor I will immediately instruct the CEO that all matters will be-placed before council in open session unless instructed otherwise, not the reverse as appears to be the current practice.
Amazing! This has taken 10 months to come out with only two months left of the defect period. Shame on you council employees, councillors, “Y” management and board for not listening to those on ground zero when the complex was opened.