The ACT Government’s reasons for not including a diving facility in the planned $138 million Canberra Aquatic Centre don’t hold water for local politicians and community groups who have written to the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr, and the Federal Government, urging them to reconsider.
They are also seeking a guarantee that the Civic pool not be bulldozed before a new dive facility is built.
Senator David Pocock, MLA Thomas Emerson, Aquatic Alliance’s Matthew Turnbull, and Friends of Canberra Olympic Pool president Terry Slevin penned the letter to Mr Barr and Finance Minister Senator Katy Gallagher, seeking a modest funding top-up, if required, to ensure a like-for-like replacement of the Civic pool in Commonwealth Park.
Mr Emerson said he did not have much confidence in the government, including in its new aquatic strategy and in its ability to follow through on that.
“Their existing aquatic facilities planning framework identified a city aquatic facility with diving facilities as a high priority in 2013,” he said.
He said building a new diving facility separately from the Commonwealth Park facility, probably without Federal Government 50/50 funding, would be even more expensive, in effect doubling the cost.
Read the article here: https://region.com.au/call-for-feds-to-top-up-pool-budget-to-include-dive-facility-at-commonwealth-park1/945718/