The article in the Bendigo Advertiser “Golden Square pool closure likely to proceed” (December 11, 2012) was written before the public meeting held at the Golden Square football rooms on Monday evening.
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The meeting was attended by recreation manager P. Jess, councillors Cox, Williams, Chapman and Fyffe.
The councillors were advised that this small group had collected 940 signatures in one week in opposition to the closure of Golden Square’s community pool.
The reports tendered by the council were considered insufficient in detail.
The PIN notices had been dealt with and the report made by the council insurance company was too insufficient in detail. And was not a WorkSafe Victoria Report.
The meeting requested an independent report on the pool.
But it was made clear by the councillors that the pool could not be opened before March 2013 due to repairs required, and the time constraints on the council to meet and consider any response to the petition.
It is interesting to note that the council is currently developing a “Municipal Public Health and Well-being Plan” in which they ask for residents to have their say – “about the health and well-being of your community” – when they have closed this pool and it appears others are in danger as well.
There is an old saying, or thought for the day – “Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your say.”
I thank all those residents who signed the petition and it will continue.
It came to my attention during the collection of signatures in support of people wanting the Golden Square pool to remain open that a person approached would not sign the petition because his cricket club wants the land.
As this is an unusual type of response, one has to ask of our council the following question:
“Have the council officers or any councillors been in communication with another sporting body or club in relation to the closure of the Golden Square pool?”
If this is not true then I would suggest the council should quash these type of rumours or statements which appear to have the council colluding in the destruction of our public pool. Or, perhaps it is a councillor acting on his/her own volition to curry favour for himself/herself with a certain group .
Either way it should be refuted by the council.
Bill Collier,
Golden Square.