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A Sippy Downs pool may be back on the Agenda
14 March 2009
The issue of a community/university swimming pool on the University grounds adjacent to the Stadium has been on and off the agenda with monotonous regularity for many years.
An MOU between Education Queensland’s Director-General Ken Smith, Maroochy Shire Council’s Mayor Joe Natoli and myself on behalf of the University was signed in 2005. Its purpose was to share three ways the responsibilities for the provision of community infrastructure on University and surplus Education Queensland land.
The 50-metre swimming pool was originally discussed in the context of that MOU, where the State Government was prepared to commit $900,000, and Maroochy Shire Council $1.5M. The University would provide the land. At that time, costs escalated, and Maroochy Shire Council wanted the University to carry operating costs. We already do this, at a considerable annual cost for the Olympic athletics track, Stadium and the fields, which are used for 80 percent of the time by various community organisations. The modest fees we charge do not come near covering the costs of these facilities – just as with the Innovation Centre and Art Gallery (free). Hence, the pool was put on hold because of the financial shortfall.
However, the swimming pool has again cropped up as we have again secured $900,000 from the State Government, but it is conditional on a major contribution from the Regional Council. Even if the Council re-committed Maroochy Shire Council’s $1.5M, and even given the more competitive construction marketplace at present, I suspect there will remain a shortfall beyond the $2.4M, not to mention the operating costs burden.
There is no doubt that taken at face value a swimming pool at the University would not only attract extensive community use, but would also be valuable for our teaching and research activities.
Some informal negotiations are underway following recent formal confirmation of the $900,000 the State is prepared to provide.
Hence the Sippy Downs swimming pool has returned as a possibility and we are carefully negotiating our way through analyses of costs, and what designs and funding are, and are not possible.
For our part at the University, we want to provide community facilities such as this pool for a rapidly growing community. However we cannot over-extend our outlays and further divert funds from other key academic and infrastructure needs.
I hope everyone will understand the issues with which we are wrestling and I am sure if you have views on this subject both local Councillor Christian Dickson and I would be pleased to hear from you so that we can gauge the strength of the case.
But ultimately, for the University to commit further expensive land and undertake operational responsibilities, the sums have to add up.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of the Sunshine Coast.