NSW Government refuses to provide additional funding to replace Parramatta pool
The NSW Government has given councillors a firm “no” after they asked for an additional $10 million to replace the demolished Parramatta pool.
Parramatta
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The State Government has said “no deal” to the extra funding needed to construct Parramatta pool.
Parramatta Council approached sports and western Sydney minister Stuart Ayres in April to secure an additional $10 million to match the business case, which the minister has rejected in a letter to the councillors released today.
The government has promised $30 million for the new facility — but councillors said that is not enough.
Mr Ayres responded to the council in the letter, where he stated: “The $30 million promised by NSW Government is a capped amount which will not be increased.”
He went on to say that “no further contribution to the new Aquatic Leisure Centre will be made”.
“Any increase in the scope and therefore the cost of (the pool) … is a matter for the council to determine and to fund.
“Council decided to pursue a more expensive option.”
The design flagged by the council will cost $75.2 million, which includes a gym.
Labor councillor Pierre Esber said the issue needed to be escalated.
“Forget Stuart Ayres, he’s a has-been,” Cr Esber said.
“This is pretty arrogant for them to come into our city and take our pool. Now I’m calling on the premier to step in.”
Our Local Community member Michelle Garrard said that despite the funding loss, she would not be accepting anything less from the pool design.
“I’m not willing to support anything less than what we have committed. We looked at the business cases in relation to the options and this is the most viable option,” she said.
“It’s really poor, the state government are willing to go over budget with the stadium and the light rail project but $10 million is an excessive amount? Residents need to be compensated, and they need a pool reflective of the city we are trying to build.”
Parramatta MP Geoff Lee said the idea for the pool was “excellent” and that the $30 million would be delivered as promised.
“We have reaffirmed our commitment of $30 million to the pool,” Mr Lee said.
“The council has chosen to deliver a world class aquatic centre, which is excellent. I love what they’ve chosen, but it’s tough if the additional funding they were asking for is not in the minister’s budget.”
Mr Lee said it was his understanding that the choice to include a gym on the site was a commercial decision, which would provide longer-term return for the council.
“It’s wonderful and I can see why they chose to go this way, but what was promised was a like-for-like facility.
“I did try to move the stadium away from the pool. I apologise that I couldn’t do that. It hurts that we lost the pool and that we couldn’t move the stadium, but there were so many constrictions. And now we need to move to delivering the facility.”
The War Memorial Pool, the city’s only pool, was closed in April 2017 and demolished by the government to make way for Western Sydney Stadium.
Members of Parramatta Memorial Swimming Club have asked the council to push the matter through as the project timeline has blown out to June 2020.
“The council had the opportunity to gauge public opinion … the vast majority just want what we had. That being an open-air, outdoor facility with grass surrounds and accessible to the community,” club secretary Katherine Scriven said.
“I have so many swim students that are missing out on swim school because we have no other options.”
Construction at the site of the old golf course is scheduled to begin this year.