Mixed result from Council meeting

The Oakleigh Pool was again an issue at the Monash Council meeting. In this case, the steering committee presented their proposals to move out to public consultation. In the agenda document released prior to the meeting, the following four options were outline:

  1. a water play facility and ancillary recreation amenities; [i.e, the splash pad]
  2. a 50 metre outdoor heated pool;
  3. a 50 metre outdoor heated pool and diving pool; and
  4. a 25 metre free form outdoor heated pool.

During the meeting, Cr Dimopoulos moved that a fifth option be added, with the heated 50 metre pool, diving pool and toddlers’ pool, rectifying the absence of the toddlers’ pool . Despite some impassioned speeches in support of the amendment, it was ultimately defeated 5—5 (with Cr Morrissey, the mayor, casting the deciding vote against the proposal). We thank Stephen Dimopoulos, Paul Klisaris, Charlotte Baines, Geoff Lake and Craig Shiell for supporting the amendment, acknowledging strong community support for the option, even though it was unfortunately defeated.

Denise McGill, Gerry Kottek, Ryan Brown, Dane Manzie and Tom Morrissey all voted against the amendment, with some indicating that while they might be supportive of the toddlers’ pool, they were opposed to adding a fifth “official” option at the late stage.

The proposal itself, starting community consultation, passed 9—1 in favour, with only Cr Brown voting against it. As such, the official period of community consultation has begun now.

While none of the four options includes provisions for both a toddlers’ and diving pool, the mandate for community consultation is not restricted to the four options mentioned. We must make it clear to Council that Oakleigh wants a pool along the lines of Cr Dimopoulos’ proposal—a community facility that caters to all ages.

Please thank all the relevant councillors and take the opportunity to get involved in the formal consultation process. Feedback forms (along with detailed information about the options) are available from all the Monash libraries. People can put their ideas on the CLAG forum for other pool supporters to discuss before sending their feedback to Council.

Cr Banerji was absent from the meeting.

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