UPDATE: About 20 representatives from Ovens and Murray water polo and swimming clubs met overnight and unanimously agreed they cannot move forward under the terms put forward by Aligned Leisure for use of pools in Albury and Wodonga for next five years.
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Albury and Wodonga councils, which own the pools, and Aligned Leisure have been notified the deadline for signing an agreement due on Wednesday won’t be met.
An urgent meeting has been requested by pool users with Aligned Leisure, mayors and chief executives from Albury and Wodonga councils where an agreement for this season can be reached as well as an agreement for future seasons which will not impact on participation.
It's also been requested a verbal agreement for this season that there be no changes to fees be honoured.
EARLIER: WATER polo and swim clubs are at loggerheads with the incoming managers of Albury and Wodonga pools over increased costs for lane and pool hire.
The Ovens and Murray water polo season start has been postponed until issues with Aligned Leisure can be resolved.
Aligned Leisure replaced Albury Aquatic Management as the operators of the Albury and Lavington swim centres and WAVES and Wodonga Leisure Centre from YMCA in a long-term deal brokered by Albury and Wodonga councils.
Ovens and Murray Water Polo Association claims it will need to come up with more than $165,000 in lane and pool hire per season under the five-year Aligned Leisure contract.
The increase will equate to a membership increase of $339 per player.
But the amounts claimed are disputed by Aligned Leisure’s Albury-Wodonga transition manager Ben Tudhope.
Ovens and Murray Water Polo Association president Brendan Dickie said the predicament was potentially dire and a far cry from the benefits of the deal with Aligned Leisure espoused by mayors Kevin Mack and Anna Speedie.
“We are in the business of growing water polo and making it accessible for everyone, but there’s no way that’s possible with this agreement,” Mr Dickie said.
“If we can’t work something out it’s hard to see any other alternative than clubs having to fold due to their members not being able to afford to register.”
Mr Tudhope said Aligned Leisure was working with the two councils in relation to a consistent facility hire model which does see the implementation of a heavily subsidised lane hire cost for swimming and water polo clubs across all four pools.
“For a full 30 week outdoor pool season including weekly fixtured competition games on both Saturdays and Sundays as well as all other requested lane allocations, all five water polo clubs would see a combined estimated total of $37,275,” he said.
“Based on an estimated 420 O and M participants, this equates to $88.75 per participant for the full outdoor pool season.
“To support swimming and water polo clubs with the implementation of the lane hire fee, we won’t be implementing this charge until January 1, 2019.”
Albury Swimming Club president and Ovens and Murray District Swimming Association committee member Phil Evans said swim clubs were in a similar predicament to water polo.
“I know at least two of the four border clubs will have to fold,” he said.
“The rest might be able to incur the costs for six months or so, but past that it will be hard to offer swimming in the area.”
Mr Evans said swim clubs had been asked to pay an increase of more than $30,000 per year.
Water polo and swim clubs were holding a “crisis meeting” in Albury on Tuesday night.
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