THE mayors of Albury and Wodonga have been challenged to a radio debate over the twin cities’ pool contract which has left swimmers and water polo players furious.
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The media match-up is an idea of the O&M Aquatics Action Group, which was formed after a crisis meeting last Thursday, and met for the first time yesterday.
Spokesman Stuart Baker, a former Albury mayor, said he wants to question the civic leaders Kevin Mack (Albury) and Anna Speedie (Wodonga) about the pool deal with Aligned Leisure.
“We will be inviting Kevin Mack and Anna Speedie on radio to debate how and when they came up with the absurd idea that the main pool users don’t contribute enough to the running of our facilities,” Mr Baker said.
“We’d just love the opportunity and like to hear what they say and and I’ve got a few questions for Kevin Mack and Anna Speedie and I’d love to ask them on-air.”
Swimming and water polo clubs are upset at Aligned Leisure’s plan to introduce pool lane hire fees in Albury-Wodonga.
They are threatening a boycott of the pools and will not sign lane hire deals until the terms of an aquatics group action plan are met.
They include having a say in a deal for new lane hire terms and not charging fees for at least the next 12 months.
“We’re talking about no fees and we would like to be part of the process and consultation for them to improve their bottom lines – that’s the councils not the Richmond Football Club (which owns Aligned),” Mr Baker said.
“Council have been sneaky and have lied to our faces about what an Aligned Leisure tender looks like for pool users.
“There’s talk that some councillors didn’t even know about the agreement and also that council will be subsidising Aligned Leisure for the first three months of the agreement they have put to us.”
Mr Baker said his group wanted to meet Albury and Wodonga councillors and their executive staff and Aligned Leisure figures this week before another public meeting on Thursday.
A meeting of aquatic groups and councils, which was scheduled for last week, was cancelled suddenly.
Asked why, a Wodonga Council spokeswoman said: “The meeting was tentative and organised by Albury. It was deemed no longer necessary.”
Mr Baker said his group’s meeting yesterday ran for 90 minutes and included personnel from each city’s swimming and water polo clubs.
“There was determination and resolve and we’ll be in this for the long haul,” he said.
The boycott would apply from next Monday, but Mr Baker said further details would need to be agreed to at Thursday’s public meeting.
