North Sydney ratepayers fund mayor's Melbourne pool tour with daughter

They're a stone's throw from some of Sydney's most impressive public swimming spots.

But North Sydney councillors are set to splash thousands of ratepayer dollars for mayor Jilly Gibson and her daughter, fellow councillor Alanya Drummond, to inspect Melbourne's leisure centres as inspiration for the looming revamp of North Sydney Olympic Pool.

The ageing North Sydney Olympic Pool faces a multi-million-dollar revamp.Credit: Steven Woodburn

Critics have described the trip as "a nonsense" and questioned why the councillors wouldn't look closer to home, at pools such as Andrew "Boy" Charlton Pool at Woolloomoolloo, Ultimo's Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre and Cook + Phillip Park Pool on College Street.

However, Cr Gibson said the tour was a group trip and defended its cost as "a drop in the swimming pool" compared to the estimated $30 million cost to redevelop the prominent North Sydney site.

The council voted in July for Cr Gibson, Cr Drummond, general manager Ken Gouldthorp and several others involved with the project to tour Melbourne pools to "consider best practice" for the redesign.

North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson calls for unity were not heeded on Monday night, as councillors walked out on the meeting.Credit: Daniel Munoz

The proposed $8000, two-day trip would take in pools at Glen Eira, Frankston, Greensborough and Hawthorn, a council report said.

But dissenting councillors proposed a rescission motion that would have scrapped the study tour. That rescission motion was defeated by a vote at an extraordinary meeting called by Cr Gibson for 9am last Monday.

Milson precinct chair and ex-councillor Jillian Christie, who spoke against the trip at the morning meeting, said there was "an awful lot" of information about interstate pools online.

"You can go out to Homebush, you can go to Cook + Philip Park, you can go to Ian Thorpe [Aquatic Centre]. You can go to Willoughby. You don't have to go to Melbourne.

"It's a nonsense to do that. You need to do your research here. You want people who can do it locally."

Independent councillor Zoe Baker said funds would be better spent on engaging a probity adviser to ensure transparency for the project.

Critics say the council should inspect Sydney pools like Cook + Phillip Pool on College Street. Credit: Anthony Browell

Cr Gibson said this week the tour would now be a single day with a revised cost of about $3000 for up to six people to fly to Melbourne on budget airline Jetstar, before a bus tour of several pools.

"It'll be just a very busy day trip," she said of the tour, which is proposed for early September.

Cr Gibson said consultants hired for the revamp had suggested the trip because "they acknowledge the best aquatic facilities at present are in Victoria".

"Sydneysiders are very Sydney-centric. I've got emails saying, 'How could [Melbourne] possibly have better facilities than we do?' Well, why not?

"Sydney's best at so many things, Melbourne can have the best aquatic facilities and the best coffee."

When questioned by a member of the public who described the trip as an "unnecessary expense" at the Monday meeting, Cr Gibson said:

"Could I ask you a question? Are you aware that Melbourne actually is renowned around the world for building the best aquatic facilities in this country and some of the pools in Melbourne have international acclaim?"

Ms Christie also criticised the "mother-daughter" nature of the trip.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Barbour told last week's meeting Cr Drummond, an associate lecturer in design practice at the University of NSW, was "our most proficient in understanding architectural needs" and councillors voted her onto the committee.

There were no laws preventing a mother and daughter serving on the council at the same time, Cr Gibson said.