Milton swimming pool upgrade expected next year

A major rebuild of the Milton Swimming Pool changing rooms will be completed before the start of the 2011/12 swimming season, subject to consultation with the community.

Council had approved a $200,000 budget for this financial year to enable the changing rooms to be re-roofed and to undertake some minor tidy up work.

However, a more detailed assessment revealed the changing rooms need a complete rebuild. Indicative prices for this are in the vicinity of $684,000, significantly more than initially anticipated.

Manager District Assets Jules Witt said the work would be loan-funded, meaning an additional cost to Milton ratepayers of around $24 to $30 per property per year for the next 25 years, plus an additional $1.70 on the Uniform Annual General Charge which is set for all households across the district.

The issue was debated at yesterday’s meeting of the District Assets Committee.

While councillors felt the work should go ahead as soon as possible, the general consensus was that the community should first be consulted given the scale of the increased costs and that the design and tender process should not be rushed.

The Committee recommended that Council spend $20,000 this winter addressing the heat and other minor issues in the changing rooms, and that the major rebuild be completed before the start of the 2011/12 swimming season subject to consultation with the community.

These recommendations are expected to be confirmed when the Council meets in a fortnight.