Pool closer to reality
AFTER years of frustration and delays, Mosgiel’s new pool is close to becoming a reality.
During the deliberations on the Dunedin City Council’s 10year plan yesterday, councillors voted to contribute $10.8 million towards a new aquatic facility in Mosgiel.
The contribution would be subject to a minimum of $3.2 million being raised by the Taieri Facilities Community Trust and a final approval of the project by the council.
In the draft 10year plan, $6.4 million was budgeted for the pool but a much greater contribution was supported by a majority of submitters.
Councillors voted 13 to 1 to support the increase, Cr Aaron Hawkins voting against and Cr Marie Laufiso abstaining.
Among the pool’s supporters sitting in the public gallery was trust chairwoman Irene Mosley.
Speaking after the vote, Mrs Mosley said it was a fantastic result not just for the Taieri community but also the wider Dunedin community.
‘‘The fact is now we’ve got a concrete project to work towards where before we were really stabbing in the dark, so that’s really encouraging.’’
After moving the motion to increase the council’s contribution from $6.4 million, Cr Lee Vandervis said he did not usually support moves to ‘‘inflate budgets’’ but he was totally in support of the $10.8 million contribution.
‘‘The pool is going to be a significantly greater project than first proposed because the circumstances have significantly changed in terms of the need and the population the pool will serve.’’
Spending more on the capital cost also meant the ongoing operational cost of the pool was reduced and the project was ‘‘futureproofed’’, Cr Vandervis said.
Supporting the motion, Cr Andrew Whiley said he thought the entire project should be councilfunded.
‘‘This is not just an asset for Mosgiel — it is a citywide asset.’’
Earlier in the meeting, Cr Laufiso congratulated the Mosgiel community for their effort in putting the pool issue in front of the council but said she needed to be persuaded to support it in light of the fact South Dunedin had been waiting since the 1980s for its own library.
Cr Hawkins said the increase was hard to support when there were no reports or investigations on the impact the project would have on the surrounding infrastructure, such as water and roading.
‘‘This is a budget debate but we’re really being asked to consider one of two project designs and the scale of those but without the relevant information.’’
About $2.5 million of the council’s contribution would be spent on associated costs such as decommissioning the old pool.
Mrs Mosley said an increase in the council’s contribution meant the trust would now be able to raise enough money to build a substantial new pool.
The trust had already raised about $1.1 million and would be meeting two major funding groups in the next two weeks, she said.
‘‘They had been looking for the council to take the lead, which is exactly what they did.’’