New Manly pool budget blowout blamed for ‘unjust’ fee hikes

COMMUNITY swimming clubs have accused the Northern Beaches Council of making them “their cash cow”, to help recover from the budget blowout of the Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Swim Centre.

The cost of the upgrade to Manly’s Boy Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Swim Centre $15 million to $27.3 million.

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THREE community swimming clubs in Manly have been left furious after copping a combined $36,000 bill for lane hire and say it is a way to cover the huge cost of the refurbished pool.

The Manly Swimming Club, Manly Women’s Swimming Club and Manly Diggers Swimming Club will now have to pay fees for use of the council’s facilities.

The three groups have joined forces in their battle with the council.

Spokesman for the clubs, Chris Hatch, accused the Northern Beaches Council of “making us their cash cow”, to help recover from the budget blowout of the Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Swim Centre.

Mr Hatch is president of Manly Swimming Club, which has born the brunt of the extra costs, with the council adding the $20,000 lane hire fees for the 22-week swim season at the pool.

The Manly Ladies Swimming Club will be charged $7500 for use of the 25 metre outdoor pool for two and a half hours a week.

The Manly Diggers Swimming Club have been charged $9000 for use of four lanes of the 50m outdoor pool for two hours a week.

Council deputy general manager John Warburton said the clubs could still have their fees waived if they could provide evidence of “hardship”.

Swimmers fear they will be priced out of the new Andrew 'Boy' Charlton Swim Centre with fees for their competition set to double. Picture: Annika Enderborg

The Manly Daily revealed that the budget for the pool had which opened in August soared from an expected $15 million to $27.3 million.

“It (the fee) certainly feels unjust and morally incorrect,” Mr Hatch said.

“We are a known entity, we go beyond just wanting to use the pool, we also build the next generation of Surf Life Savers we provide them with the fundamental skills they need in Australia,”

The club says council has given them favourable treatment since 1973 because they helped build the first swim centre.

In recent years, members have only paid entry fees to the pool.

Mr Hatch, said the clubs, could struggle to start the season next Saturday if a resolution is not found.

Membership fees would likely have to double from $70 to $140 to make ends meet.

Mr Hatch said the council was using swimming clubs as a way to raise revenue.

“I had a meeting with council trying to illustrate that the people they are looking to incur this cost upon are the same ones that pay the rates,” he said.

“It is the same money pool which council is trying to extract more dollars out of.

“All you (the council) are doing is bleeding the same group of people dry to try and generate the cost of the new structure.”

The clubs would be using the same outdoor pools as they did before the upgrades, not the newly refurbished pools.

Mr Warbuton said council had resolved to waive the fees in 2010 for four years due to “financial hardship”.

He said the clubs had been given an extension last year, which had now run out.