Let's bake a different cake (#808)

Two weeks ago we reported two of the essential features of DACCI’s concept plan:  compared with the original proposal,  this plan cuts building costs roughly in half ($5M rather than $9M) and running costs to about one quarter ($300k rather than $1.2M).

 

But there’s a third kind of cost – the opportunity cost – that often takes pole position in budget considerations.

Each year Council has to choose which of the many proposals before it can support.  As we’ve said before, DACCI strongly supports the diversity that is reflected in the community’s shopping list.   The imagination and enthusiasm that goes into these projects is an essential part of what makes Denmark tick socially.  Many of those that DACCI represents are also members of other clubs – golf, tennis, bowls, surf, footy etc. - and they agonise over the question “how do we have our cake and eat it?”

This is what “opportunity cost” is all about.  How does a community wanting to have its own pool avoid squeezing other projects out of the picture?  DACCI believes we simply bake a second cake  ... a different kind of cake from the usual one that’s sliced up each year.  Here’s the recipe.

Ratepayers contribute a fixed amount ($1.50 per week - $78 pa) in an additional rate and this money is quarantined from all other Council expenditure.  The usual annual competition for Council support is not affected … that’s fed from a different cake.  By quarantining the project from all other requests there is essentially zero opportunity cost.

Thus in all three of these major areas – building cost, recurrent cost and opportunity cost - DACCI has offered solutions that match our community profile.  (In a future article we’ll explain our solution to the last major problem i.e. how to replace the pool at the end of its working life.)

Although endorsed by the Shire’s own Project Team (on which DACCI serves in a 2:6 minority), the plan has yet to make it on to a Council Agenda.  Sadly, it won’t be considered at the next meeting (12 June) as we had hoped, it has been sent to third parties for comments and is now scheduled for July.

Remember … DACCI is not asking Council to build a pool now … we are simply asking for a commitment to try to make the pool a reality.  Once given, there’d still be lots of hard work to be done before the pool could become a reality … and DACCI is more than willing to contribute to that work.  But until this commitment is made we can do no more unless Council comes on board.

If you feel strongly about the pool, please contact your Councillor.

Cyril Edwards, DACCI, denmarkpool@gmail.com and http://www.denmarkpool.blogspot.com.