Pool Users And Workers - The Meat-In-The-Sandwich

Where's The Belconnen Pool?

Wayne Berry - Member for Ginninderra

Media Statement - 5 June 2001

Pool users and workers at the Kippax pool have now become the meat-in-the-sandwich in an argument between a developer and the government over the redevelopment of the Kippax Pool and Fitness Centre, Ginninderra MLA Wayne Berry said today.

"Pool users will have nowhere to swim and workers have been stood down in West Belconnen because of the closure of the pool which I understand is because of maintenance requirements," Mr Berry said.

"There is no commitment to a re-opening date for the pool, adding to the uncertainty. A squabble between the government and a developer has been put forward as a reason for the lack of work on the pool and its surroundings.

"The government should not allow residents and staff to become the meat-in-the-sandwich in this dispute.

"This problem highlights the failure of the Carnell and Humphries Governments to build the Belconnen Pool promised at the last two elections - we are now facing a third election with the promise to build the Belconnen Pool.

"If the Belconnen Pool had been built in 1995 as first promised then these people would have had somewhere else to go and could not have been used as leverage in the dispute with the government over a development plan,

"The people of West Belconnen have been loyal patrons of the Kippax Pool and Fitness Centre for years. I urge the owner of the centre to reward that loyalty by undertaking the necessary remedial repairs quickly to get the pool open again.

"The failure of the Humphries Government has left the people of Belconnen without services and with nothing but empty promises," Mr Berry concluded.