The council has sought quotes for several options around changes to the design of Bombala’s pool. Photo: Bombala swimming pool Facebook.
Thousands of dollars have been put towards a redesign of a regional pool amid warnings of further delays.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC) had been carrying out upgrades to the Cooma and Bombala public pools, but in late April cancelled the main pool upgrade contract with Dalski Pty Ltd amid claims subcontractors for the project weren’t being paid.
The following month, the company went into administration, with SMRC approving more than $500,000 in works to wrap up the projects.
Repeated calls have been made for the lip of the pool at Bombala to be redesigned.
Council papers state quotes have been sought for multiple options – including a wet edge or lip reduction.
Councillor Tricia Hopkins urged her fellow councillors to support the expense.
“I think [in] the situation with the Bombala pool, there are still a lot of options,” she said.
“Do we continue with the current design? Do we go with a wet edge? … It’s really important to allocate the $30,000 to actually get some designs done that the user group can see and to get some sensible costings done so we actually know what we’re talking about.”
A staff member told councillors that the money was coming from the council’s operational savings.
“It’s not from unrestricted [funds], because the year isn’t finished … The final calculations are at the end of the year, and any operational savings then go to unrestricted.
“But we were able to calculate this amount from operational savings.”
Councillor Andrew Thaler pressed for further details on what the council’s lawyers were seeking during the administration process.
“We’re now claiming $3.3 million back … but yet it’s 91 per cent complete,” he said of the upgrades.
“I’m wondering if that can be rationalised or explained.”
A staff member said the council’s claim through Worrells had several components.
“Our team’s gone through the contract, line by line, and looked at everything they can possibly claim legally and that’s what we put through to the administrator.”
Councillor Reuben Rose said it was also unclear whether the pumps and filters met the requirements set by the council.
He argued there was more information needed and pointed to estimates of a 14-week delay if alternative products needed to be ordered.
“They exist somewhere – and the only answer I’ve got is somewhere in Sydney. Now they’re in possession of the liquidator.
“I still don’t have any understanding from the answers that have been given today to councillor Thaler’s question about whether we’ve actually seen, physically, those pumps and filters – and they’re significant issues.”
The staff member said SMRC had written to the administrator, asking about the pumps and filters.
“We’ve sent quite a strongly worded letter today to them, basically demanding the release of our property on Monday.”
But he said SMRC was confident in its prospects of having them returned.
“I’m not in a position to really comment, but our lawyers are saying we are in a very, very strong position.”
During discussion, councillors agreed to put forward councillors Hopkins and Bob Stewart as members of the Bombala Pools Advisory Group.
Council documents state that Cr Stewart must be included as Bombala’s local councillor, under an earlier resolution from the council.
He will be joined by representatives from community user groups.
Councillor John Rooney hit out at that strategy, labelling it as “unorthodox”.
“My question is, have we got all the bases covered in the advisory group?
“Are there any groups that you believe, or staff believe, ought to be on [it] that will be excluded because we’ve just slotted in the user groups into the role of an advisory group?”
Cr Stewart said the strategy would make sure the community’s concerns were heard and acted on.
“There’s no division in the community down there – it’s about trying to get a good pool outcome.
“These people, they were the ones that picked this issue up [around the pool’s lip], when they went and had an inspection of the pool … I’m sure there will be no controversy if we go down this path [of the advisory group].”
