Rosebud pool still without a name after six months
They spent around $50,000, had more than 400 suggestions and even brought in an expert panel for advice. But Mornington Peninsula councillors still can’t decide on a title for Rosebud’s new pool.
South East
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A six-month process to name a public pool on the Mornington Peninsula has been sent back to the drawing board with the delay predicted to add at least $200,000 to the project’s bottom line.
Despite a complex process that garnered more than 400 community suggestions, Mornington Peninsula councillors voted to defer the decision on the pool in Rosebud to seek even more public input.
The Leader understands about $50,000 has already been spent on the naming process for the $39 million project.
The move has angered ratepayers, who say the rethink was an “appalling waste of money”.
Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers and Residents’ Association president John Cain said the council should focus on those who had “lost jobs and businesses” in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’ve never known a council like it. This is not the time to be lavishing money on decisions that should be straightforward,” he said.
Campaigner Betty Preston, who has been lobbying for a public pool on the southern peninsula for 21 years, said the community had a right to chose the centre’s name.
“What’s wrong with Rosebud Aquatic Centre? I say keep it simple, stupid,” she said.
The council appointed Studio Binocular in December 2019 to provide expert advice on creating the name and brand for the centre.
In February, a six-part naming strategy was unveiled and residents made 442 submissions, with names reflecting indigenous language and culture popular.
The exhaustive process was meant to culminate with a name being chosen from a short list last week.
The final options were all indigenous words including Barbawar (stingray), Gunawarra (black swan) and Yawa (to swim).
Council officers said Gunawarra was the most appropriate because it was “unique, positive,
memorable and has endearing qualities”.
But councillors voted against accepting the name and ordered that residents be given the chance to vote on five options including Gunawarra Aquatic Centre, Rosebud Aquatic Centre, Barbawar Aquatic Centre, Yawa Aquatic Centre and Tides Aquatic Centre.
The title with the most votes would go back to council for a final decision.
Councillor David Gill said delaying the name would add eight weeks to the project timeline, cost ratepayers at least $200,000 and “increase the risk to the financial viability of the new aquatic centre already expected to have the usual large annual losses for municipal pools”.
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“You’re naive if you think it’s just a name,” he said.
“We can’t organise signs, or finalise branding, start marketing and advertising campaigns, even order uniforms for staff without a name.”
The centre was scheduled to open in December.
It is being built alongside the council offices at Besgrove St and construction is 50 per cent complete.