THE decision to close the Golden Square pool could be up for review, with one councillor labelling the lack of consultation with residents “outrageous” and an “absolute embarrassment”.
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A 5-4 vote from councillors sealed the fate of the pool at last week’s council meeting, despite a petition to save it gaining more than 1800 signatures.
Councillors Peter Cox and Elise Chapman – who both voted to maintain the pool – have worked together to come up with a revised motion looking at whether the decision process included enough consultation.
Cr Cox said the recision motion, which will be put before the council this week, would focus on the process leading up to the decision to have the pool closed.
“I want the decision to be reviewed,” he said.
“One of the grounds that I’m suggesting is that we haven’t consulted enough with the Golden Square community.”
Cr Elise Chapman backed the call and said she was ashamed at the way the council had treated local residents.
After a one hour debate at last week’s meeting, including a failed motion to spend $50,000 on mediation with the Save Our Golden Square Pool group, a motion to permanently close and demolish the pool was passed.
Cr Chapman said she was disappointed with the outcome and said she was “embarrassed by the whole process.”
“If you were mega-religious and the church that you’d been going to for years was suddenly just shut and the council said ‘boo hoo, bad luck’.
“How would you feel?”
Cr Cox said any recision motion would concentrate on a formal consultation process.
“I’m not saying one way, open it or close it. I’m saying the council is committed to consulting with residents.
“People need to be heard and we should have procedures in place.”
Councillor Barry Lyons said the consultation process was as open as it could possibly be with a frank dialogue.
Crs Chapman, Cox, Fyffe and Leach voted against the closure in favour of mediation.