Ms BURNET (Clark) – Madam Speaker, I raise the uncertain situation of the Glenorchy Memorial Pool, languishing unloved, awaiting significant upgrades and vital spending.
The Glenorchy pool is truly a multi-purpose, multi-sports facility. It hosts a variety of sports events and disciplines and should, therefore, be considered as being greater than a single facility for the purposes of funding. The government promises $5 million for upgrades, but the people of Glenorchy are hardly reassured that this will be enough to secure the reopening of the pool for the community’s needs.
There are three elements to public debate about this important public asset and community interests: the current Glenorchy City Council by-election, the concurrent elector poll and priorities of the state government.
Firstly, I acknowledge that on 21 May, the member for Clark, Ms Haddad, lodged a petition of over 1000 signatures calling on the government to fund the renovation and/or the construction requirements of the Glenorchy War Memorial Swimming Pool. She also spoke in support of the matter.
Secondly, I acknowledge the power of work by concerned Glenorchy residents. I met with representatives of the interest group Friends of the Glenorchy Pool on 28 May. Members of this group are working hard to protect this significant community asset for all the right reasons, so that their community can access a place for recreation, fitness, water safety and Learn to Swim lessons, and to maintain overall health and wellbeing, as it has been for the past 60 years. They have been looking at what could work as the best governance model into the future so that the downgrade of this much‑loved public asset, once restored, never happens again.
Councils are often faced with significant recurrent costs of ageing infrastructure. I understand that the Glenorchy City Council understands the importance of this pool to their community. The $5 million is a short-term fix, but they need that commitment by the state government for the consultation, costing and planning of being able to deliver the restoration or replacement of the pool.
Third, there is currently a Glenorchy City Council by-election. Voting is open now until 20 June and one of the major issues for this by-election is the fate of the pool. When surveyed by the Friends of Glenorchy Pool, the candidates have shown unanimous support for the future of Glenorchy Pool, which is very comforting. The Greens candidate for the councillor seat in this by-election, Nina Hamasaki, when surveyed, said that she supports the long-term refurbishment of the pool, and said that:
“The Glenorchy Pool is an absolutely critical piece of community infrastructure used for a range of important purposes. It has been an essential part of the city for recreation and Learn to Swim and socialising in Glenorchy since the 60s.”
She said that as councillor she would:
“support any move to pursue state and/or federal funding for the refurbishment of the Glenorchy Pool.”
To the question ‘Will you ensure that Glenorchy Pool will remain an accessible, affordable facility?’, Ms Hamasaki said:
“It’s crucial that all our community infrastructure is accessible and affordable. We’re a really diverse community with access important to all, including those on pensions, people with disabilities, children and migrants accessing Learn to Swim programs and those rehabilitating from illness.”
Madam Speaker, an elector poll triggered by over 4,000 signatures is running concurrently with this by‑election. The people of Glenorchy, when considering their vote, which closes by 20 June, will be asked the following questions –
- Do you support the council, with committed government funding, urgently repairing and reopening the Glenorchy War Memorial Pool?
- Should the council apply for future government funding to retain the pool and develop it into a modern public pool facility that will serve the Glenorchy area for the longer term.
I can imagine that given the strong public support showing already for the pool, there will be a strong ‘yes’ vote on these questions.
Without a functioning Glenorchy pool, there are currently schools in the catchments which have spent thousands of dollars on buses to Oatlands for swimming carnivals. Hobart’s Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre is already at capacity and, dare I say, starved of funds by the state government for that facility’s rehabilitation and wellness pool extension because the state government is more interested in building a $1 billion stadium for elite sport rather than investing in local facilities.
In closing, I return to something I received this morning from Friends of Glenorchy Pool’s Natalie Larter, who points out the dearth of spending on a community that is worthy of facilities:
If the Liberal Government believes that Blundstone Arena will be inadequate for Hobart’s growing population, then perhaps they would like to consider how no multi-purpose, multi-sports facilities are likely to affect the northern suburbs’ growing population.
Tasmania still does not have an ice sports rink because despite the Liberal Government promising to budget for this a year ago, they are yet to deliver. This is the same as with the basketball courts promised for Wilkinson’s Point.
Madam Speaker, these are concerns that the community want resolved. They want assets that are fit for purpose and that serve their recreational health and sporting needs. The Greens stand with the Glenorchy community in their desire to have the Glenorchy Memorial Pool fit for purpose. We see it as important for the health, wellbeing and indeed safety of the community.
