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UPDATE 13/12/16 At the Council meeting tonight, Administrator Dick Perrson stated that the amateur swim clubs would not be required to pay new lane hire fees for the rest of this financial year, following a stalemate in negotiations between the Council and the Clubs. It was stressed however that the matter would need to be re-addressed for the 2017-2018 financial year. With a number of the Clubs under threat of folding, this is a welcomed, although temporary reprieve for the Clubs. Let's hope a satisfactory outcome can be reached in the new year. ========================================================================================== Is it fair that local not-for-profit swimming clubs, which have been operating in Manly for 80 and 100 years, should be expected to pay excessive lane hire fees in addition to entry fees? That's the debate that has caused a total stalemate between the new Northern Beaches Council and the three amateur swim clubs which use the Manly Swim Centre.  Amateur swimmers at war with Northern Beaches Council. Photo by Annika Enderborg,Manly Daily The 22 week swimming season was scheduled to start early in October, but Manly Swim Club, Manly Women's Swimming Club and the Manly Diggers Club have not been able to use their traditional home at the Manly Swim Centre Boy Charlton Pool.
The deadlock is over just how much is a fair fee for non-profit clubs to pay. The Council wants $53.00 per lane per hour, in addition to entry fees which have been estimated to tally around $80,000 annually. The Clubs say they just can't afford it and they will probably close. They are concerned that they are been hit with huge fees because the $27.3 million indoor facility, which they don't even use, was so over budget. In contrast, a survey of other amateur clubs using council pools elsewhere in Sydney, pay no lane hire or a nominal fee plus entry. "This is a clear case of where the amalgamation of the three councils has not served Manly. While the former Manly Council strongly supported the amateur swimming clubs, it seems the new council is focused purely on service fees. It's Council's role to provide facilities for the community - not to price local groups out of existence", said former Councillor Candy Bingham. It is understood that local member Mike Baird has met with the Clubs and the Council but that no solution has been found. Meanwhile, the swimming season is well underway and the Clubs have no where to swim. It's a disgrace.
11 Comments
Don Walker
28/10/2016 08:23:15 am
Hard to understand why the new council is differentiating between the Manly and Warringah swimming centres, particularly when the Warringah Centre has adequate parking, is under cover and the pool heating system works.
Luke Donnan
28/10/2016 08:30:07 am
I would like to know whether lap swimmers on a Saturday afternoon pay additional entry fee for the privelage of swimming laps. On a regular Saturday up to five (5) lanes of the 50m pool are taken up by lanes dedicated to lap swimmers at no additional cost. Even on the hottest days.
ralf
28/10/2016 09:40:30 am
For me on 2 crutches it is difficult to access the Reception via the rather steep ramp; I think wheelchair users also have a problem.
Lindsay Coburn
17/11/2016 07:03:23 pm
"the privilege of swimming laps"??? You live in the northern beaches; swimming is a big deal here and when I visit there are heaps of swimmers in these lanes. How much space do you want for splash and fun? Half the pool? Three-quarters?
Ralf
28/10/2016 09:36:40 am
Yours truly is unhappy with the access to the swimming centre.
Anna
28/10/2016 03:57:24 pm
All the local residents around the pool argued agaist this vast overdevelopment strongly and predicted this mess with hundreds of objections. As predicted, we are now stuck with an expensive eyesore, a smaller Grahams reserve (-whilst everyone is screaming for more playing fields), unhappy swim clubs and a terribly dangerous Kenneth Rd.
bill allen
28/10/2016 05:09:26 pm
I agree with Anna's comments. Henty Wong has already deserted. Jean Hay reported the project was "on time and on budget". The whole process reeks of corrupt behaviour. Surely steps can be taken to bring Wong and the whole council to account. Thank goodness the preposterous Manly Oval Project was canned.
Warren Riley
19/12/2016 06:47:15 am
Finally some good news for the clubs. As a matter of interest, a complete Olympic standard complex including far more facilities than Boy Charlton has been built from scratch for $20m NZ. Lucky didn't have Henry in charge.
Ian Littlemore
19/12/2016 07:51:56 pm
Swimming club members presumably take over a number of pool lanes for their private use, thereby forcing other paying members of the public to squeeze into the remaining area of the pool. It seems reasonable to me to expect a group wanting to obtain exclusive use of a public facility to have to pay a sensible charge for that. It is a furphy to relate this to the poor management of the building of this facility and the blow out in costs. Even without that, these clubs should have always been paying a reasonable extra amount for their private use of a public facility.
Sue
22/12/2016 09:37:27 pm
What a debacle!!! The worst designed pool in recent history, way over budget, lousy parking, noisy, tiles already dirty, expensive with a lot of extra staff for which the ratepayers will pay, one could go on.....we said we didn't want it, Jean Hay and the Liberals ignored us and left us to pay for their arrogance. The only bright spot is the families enjoying the new indoor pools. Luckily they left the outdoor pools alone so we can still do our laps in peace as usual....
Simon
18/6/2017 10:46:08 pm
Agree with Sue. The car park is inadequate with the ramp just ludicrous. The only part of the pool i use are the bits they havent touched. The new change rooms are too small. the taps are impossible to use with wet hands. The tiles are filthy becasue the ground is alwys wet and the foot traffic from outside brings in the dirt. Poor design and badly managed build, and to top it they are planning to close Waringah ....the statement they will build a new pool as a replacement is not one you can trust. They close the old pool and then suddently it becomes all to expensive and regretably cuts had to be made.....especially in light of the mishandling of manly Pool. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorCandy Bingham, Deputy Mayor & Manly Ward Councillor on Northern Beaches Council. Background in marketing, public relations and community engagement. Author of five business books. Former Lady Mayoress of Sydney. Aka Candy Tymson. ........................................
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