Page 4600 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 19 October 2010
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… the centre which will include a 50 metre pool, a 25 metre pool at least 1 court space, for example a netball court and associated amenities such as a cafe and gymnasium.
Minister, recent media articles in the Gungahlin News and GunSmoke report government officials as saying that the government is in favour of a 25-metre pool. Minister, will the ACT Labor government deliver a 50-metre pool to the people of Gungahlin, yes or no?
MR BARR: I thank the member for his question. Mr Hanson has, indeed, correctly quoted from a media release I issued in 2008; so I will acknowledge that he has done so.
The government, through its sport and recreation policy, indicated that we would fund some feasibility and forward design work for a Gungahlin swimming pool. That work is progressing. There are, essentially, two options that are being considered through that work. One is the traditional 50-metre pool that members would be familiar with, with a deep end and a shallow end, which I think is the fairly standard pool configuration.
During this consultation phase, though, a number of organisations, including Swimming ACT and the Royal Life Saving Society, and a number of community members have also suggested a second option which would be a series of pools, ones that would cater specifically—
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! The minister is giving an informative answer. I think you should give him the courtesy of listening to him.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I was indicating, a second model has come forward during this consultation phase and that is a model that is being promoted by organisations such as the Royal Life Saving Society and Swimming ACT, amongst others, that involves a series of specialised pools—a pool dedicated to swimming and lap swimming, a dedicated pool for learning to swim, hydrotherapies and aquarobics and a dedicated wet play area. It is another model that has come forward during these consultations.
The government will have both options fully investigated and will then go back out to the community and seek its views on the two options and then make a final decision as to the configuration of the pool in a future budget round. As members would be aware, only a small proportion—I think it is just over $1 million of the government’s $20 million commitment—has been allocated to the project to date. The final decision-making process, after the community consultation, after the feasibility and all the options are put forward, will be determined by the government during the budget process.
MR HANSON: A supplementary, Mr Speaker.
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