Published on Friday, 3 March 2023 at 2:38:49 PM
Recent media interest in aquatic facilities within the City of Busselton has compared our facilities alongside local governments with populations twice our current size (Rockingham, Mandurah and Greater Bunbury Region).
The City’s aquatic facilities have also been compared to legacy pools built by rural inland communities decades ago for populations that have no access to the coast. Many of these are now closed or have restricted opening hours as councils struggle to afford to operate and staff them.
Busselton Councillors have all requested the Chief Executive Officer include in budget preparations, provisions for an independent assessment of the costs of several options to increase the capacity of aquatic facilities in the City, along with the ongoing costs to operate such facilities.
Further, the Council has asked for the assessment of facilities to include the cost of options to increase court space, which has been raised repeatedly as a matter of urgency.
City of Busselton Mayor Grant Henley said “We need to get some accurate data on the cost to build this infrastructure in the current environment, but also ascertain the ongoing costs to operate and maintain such infrastructure.”
“We also need to look at options, including extending existing facilities or creating green field sites elsewhere.”
Provision has already been allocated for important preliminary costs of this kind within the Long Term Financial Plan and is likely to be considered favourably during draft budget discussions.
“Council will seek to have community feedback on options once due diligence has been completed and actual costs have been more accurately modelled.” Mayor Henley said.
Objectives outlined in this statement are aligned with the City of Busselton’s Strategic Community Plan (2021 - 2031) Key Themes Lifestyle: A place that is relaxed, safe and friendly with services and facilities that support our lifestyle.
Ends. Media enquiries can be directed to pr@busselton.wa.gov.au
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