Robert Laing’s
letter about DACCI (Bulletin 813) demands a response because it seriously
misinterprets DACCI’s aims and modus operandi.
DACCI has never
wanted a pool at “any cost.” Our aim has
always been to determine whether it is feasible to build and operate a pool
tailored to the Denmark community’s needs, at a cost which the community is
able and willing to bear. To this end we have always argued that councillors
must have the most accurate information possible to enable them to make an
informed decision. In responding to CCA’s Feasibility Report and the Finance
Director’s Report, we saw it as our role to question dubious assumptions and
challenge perceived errors in the interests of getting to the truth. We do not
apologise for this.
The CCA Report and
the Director of Finance’s Report certainly suggested that
“a pool would be
very costly and ratepayers would face very significant increases in rates to
build, run and maintain it” and invited the conclusion that a pool would be beyond
the community’s means. However[CU1] , DACCI challenged a number of the key
assumptions in those Reports, and has framed an alternative plan for a facility
with a smaller footprint and reduced operating costs, which could be within the
community’s means. A wealth of meticulous research underpins this plan and it
merits due consideration.
We believe that
there is strong community support for a pool. The Denmark Aquatic Centre Association has a
support base of over 850 families - more than half of the 1437 families normally
resident in the community. We have yet
to see whether in-principle support translates into willingness to pay higher
rates to make an appropriate facility a reality. However, we are confident that
many ratepayers, knowing the significant benefits of a pool to the community,
would support a rate increase.
It would clearly be
unworkable for DACCI to build and maintain a pool for its members, as Robert
Laing suggests. We would have no chance of securing grant funding, and it would
anyway be unthinkable to embark on a major project to be managed long-term by
volunteers.
When the joint
Council/DACCI Project Team puts its final recommendations to Council, Council
is likely to consider the projected costs to the community in a range of
scenarios (dependent on projected capital and operating costs, possible income
from grant applications and donations etc). Council is then likely to ask the
community for its input on paying higher rates to support a pool. The final
decision will be made by Council, taking account of that community input.
Wendy Edgeley,
Secretary, DACCI Management Committee
[CU1]It
would have cost $770k per annum to service the finance and replacement costs
alone – that’s without even opening the doors
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