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THE rhetoric of some City of Greater Bendigo councillors needs to match their actions over the Kangaroo Flat aquatic centre, member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards says.
Ms Edwards said the project had almost certainly lost its position as the council's number one priority, despite former mayor Barry Lyons promising to lobby Canberra for the required funding.
"Council has, for a number of years, said the pool is the number one priority," she said.
"But when council representatives went to Canberra, the only project they ended up applying for funding for was the expansion of the Bendigo Airport.
"There was indication at that time that the aquatic centre was no longer the number one priority - we had to wait months to find that out."
Ms Edwards said every year the council waited on the project, the cost would increase.
The council applied for funding for the airport from the federal government's $1 billion National Stronger Regions Fund - $200 million per year for five years.
Council did not apply for the required $10 million funding for the aquatic centre from the funding stream.
Councillor Barry Lyons said the airport expansion closely matched the criteria of the funding scheme, whereas the pool did not.
"It was clear we were only allowed to apply for funding for one project, and we were more likely to succeed with the airport," he said.
"If successful, the airport would be seen as more of a stimulus for the wider region, while the pool is more of a project for the city."
Cr Lyons said the pool remained a "very, very high" priority.
"We're going to build it, I'm very sure," he said.
"I'm very pro-pool. I'm pro-future."