Commitment requested on pool

OUTSIDE funding for the new Mosgiel swimming pool could be put in jeopardy if the Dunedin City Council does not commit to half of the cost, councillors were told yesterday.

During her submission on the DCC’s 10year plan, Taieri Communities Facility Trust chairwoman Irene Mosley told councillors if the council did not commit to 50% of the cost, it would be difficult for the trust to raise enough money.

So far the trust had raised about $1 million of the $7.5 million it aimed to raise, through private donations, naming rights and grants.

About $6.3 million has been budgeted in the 10year plan for a new pool.

In the past month the trust had approached two large charitable trusts for funding but had been told the council needed to commit to half the cost, Mrs Mosley said.

‘‘What they’re saying to us is ‘hang on a minute, this isn’t a 50/50 partnership, we’re scared if we support this without a bigger commitment from council, we’re setting a precedent that we can start paying for infrastructure’.’’

Fundraising would stall if there was not a larger pledge from the council, she said.

Aside from the funding issue, Mrs Mosley said the trust and the council were now working well together.

‘‘At the end of last year the trust considered just walking away. It was getting just too hard and we are all volunteers but now we’re in a much better place.’’

Cr Vandervis asked if the council was able to confirm the 50/50 partnership would be what councillors and the trust understood it to be.

Mayor Dave Cull said, in principle, the council agreed to the partnership but there needed to be an agreement on what type of pool was being proposed.

‘‘The variable is what are you talking 50% of, [if] it’s 50% of a pool we can agree on, not 50% of anything.’’

DCC chief executive Sue Bidrose said councillors would briefed on what the final design of the pool could be and how the funding model would work before they approved the final budget in May.