Labor pledges $3m to save Dawn Fraser pool
LABOR would provide $3 million to save Dawn Fraser pool if elected. Hundreds of people attended a community rally on Saturday to keep the doors of the nationally significant baths open.
Inner West
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LABOR would provide $3 million to save Dawn Fraser pool if elected.
Hundreds of people attended a community rally on Saturday to keep the doors of the nationally significant baths open.
The Balmain Water Polo under 16 girls team, who won the gold medal at the National Championships last week, and the under 16 boys, who won the bronze, were introduced to the crowd and received an ovation at the beginning of the event.
The pool is facing a $2.2 million funding shortfall for $6.7 million of urgent works including raising the Balmain landmark to overcome sea level rises and reconstructing the south and central pavilions.
Labor candidate for Balmain Elly Howse and Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage Penny Sharpe pledged $1 million frrom the State Government and Grayndler federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese promised $2 million from Federal Labor if it wins the election.
This would be on top of the $4.5 million set aside by Inner West Council.
New bathrooms, pier refurbishments and lighting will be installed so the UTS Balmain Tigers Water Polo Club can continue competing on the national level.
A longer term masterplan for the baths, built in the 1880s, will cost about $10 million.
Australia’s oldest swimming club started at the school in 1884.
“Places like Dawny’s and the links they have to our heritage as a community are important to maintain, as once lost, they are lost forever,” Ms Howse said.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said: “It’s not up to the community to pass the hat around; it’s governments— local, state and federal who must live up to their responsibilities to protect and preserve this gem”.
“We need to invest in restoring this pool so that it’s still here for another 100 years.”
Green councillor Rochelle Porteous’s motion to make up the funding shortfall from the council’s investment reserves did not get the green light at the last meeting.
Chief Financial & Administration Officer Michael Tzimoulas said taking $2.2 million out of the reserves would reduce the council’s operating expenditure or result in cuts to another capital works program.
Independent councillor John Stamolis questioned the logic of making the group manager of aquatics redundant when the council was embarking on a $60 million program of pool upgrades.
“This is the biggest investment in pools in the history of the Inner West and possibly by any Council in NSW,” Cr Stamolis said.
“Yet, at the same time that we were approving this program, the position of Group Manager Aquatics was made redundant. No information was provided to Councillors about this.”