Community meeting erupts as Logan councillors gagged over Eagleby Aquatic Centre closure

A community consultation event about the future of a popular pool became heated as residents pushed for answers from the local council over why it was closed in the first place.

A southside council has gagged its councillors, forbidding them from speaking about the snap official closure of a local swimming pool.

About 50 people attended a meeting at the Eagleby Aquatic Centre on Thursday arranged by Logan City councillor Karen Murphy, who was one of five councillors to vote to keep the pool open.

But a council officer prevented Ms Murphy from speaking with some residents or explaining why the council decided to shut the pool.

The council officer intervened when Eagleby resident Nate Hamon asked Ms Murphy about the council’s decision to close the pool.

“This is a community event not a media event — she cannot talk,” the council officer said.

Logan City councillor Tony Hall was also at the meeting and refused to comment, saying all questions had to be directed to Ms Murphy and the council team.

A Logan City Council officer tells the crowd that councillor Karen Murphy was not allowed to speak at the ‘community engagement’ event.

Mr Hamon said he was disgusted with the treatment of residents who attended the meeting in good faith to find out why the pool closed and what options were available for the site.

“They already voted behind closed doors to shut the pool and now I can’t even speak to my local councillor,” he said.

“We thought by going to the meeting the councillor would talk to us because she voted to keep the pool open — but instead we just get more silence.

“We just want to know why five councillors voted to keep the pool open and now suddenly that’s off the table.”

Ms Murphy apologised for not being able to comment and said she was “in trouble” for talking to the media.

Resident Belinda Thompson said she was fed up with the lack of information from the council on why the pool was shut.

Resident Belinda Thompson, who started a petition to keep the pool open, said she was appalled that the councillors had been gagged.

“All we hear is that it is confidential,” Ms Thompson said.

“We attended the meeting so that we could discuss what has happened and talk about plans for the site — but the councillors refused to engage with anyone.

“We don’t know how much it costs to bring the facility back to the standard to reopen it because the council is not telling us why it was closed.”

A top-level state government Workplace Health and Safety investigation is continuing into an incident at the pool in January where a cleaner escaped with his life after hitting 110,000-volt power lines with a cleaning pole.

Logan City Council has refused to answer any questions about the incident or about the pool’s closure.

Eagleby Community Association president Arthur Joyce said he would like to see a free water park at the site to cater for those who cannot afford admission to the council-owned pool. Pictures: Judith Kerr

High school Chappie Nick Carroll, who was also at the meeting and is the vice-president of the Eagleby Giants Football Club, which borders the pool, said the club was resigned to the fact that the pool would never reopen but was also surprised at the decision.

“The decision’s been made and we just have to live with it,” he said.

“We’re here to turn lemons into lemonade — if we’re going to lose the pool, at least the local councillor is asking our opinion on what we could have here instead.

“In the last few years, a lot of people could not afford to use this pool, but now if we have something like an above-ground water park with some netball courts and a basketball court, it would be a facility the community could use that is free.”

Eagleby Community Association president Arthur Joyce said the community needed a facility that could be used throughout the entire year.

“The pool was closed more often than it was opened and it’s just not viable,” he said.

“There are much better community uses for the site.”

Logan Ratepayers Association president Rod Shaw said the state-owned Electricity Distribution Corporation was responsible for the workplace Health and Safety issue that brought about the threat of closure.

“That body should accept liability for rectification of the problem and keep this vital community asset open,” Mr Shaw said.

“After all, they are spending millions covering the legal fees for Jackie Trad, courtesy of Shannon Fentiman, Member for Waterford in Logan City and Attorney-General.

“Surely the electorate in Eagleby is more important than one ex MP?”

Originally published as Community meeting erupts as Logan councillors gagged over Eagleby Aquatic Centre closure