Federation Council mayor Pat Bourke has been forced to defend funding being directed to his former shire after the Urana Aquatic Centre redevelopment was resurrected on Tuesday.
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Last month, the council put construction of a gym, meeting room, function centre, kitchen and jetty on hold and negotiated exclusively with one of the two unsuccessful tenderers, Kennedy Builders, on a revised scope of works and associated cost.
Kennedy Builders director Andrew Kennedy is also a Federation councillor, but declared a pecuniary interest and didn't participate in the revised tender assessment discussion held in a confidential council session which ended with his company being awarded the revised tender of $982,164.
The council also committed to sourcing additional funding of $340,000 for the project by way of loan or from drought funding still to be allocated.
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Earlier, in open council, Cr Gail Law said she feared for the future of the town's bowling club, which already hosts functions, if the aquatic centre went ahead.
"If this facility is to go ahead with the size it is now I feel it is going to jeopardise the bowling club greatly," she said.
But Cr Bourke said it was a golden opportunity for Urana to grow.
"It's not about sitting on the assets you have that have been there for many years," he said.
"But if you've got a natural asset that is on water, I would certainly be trying to build something for our future.
"It's been very noticeable in the last two years without water in that facility how detrimental it has been."
Deputy mayor Shaun Whitechurch defended the project and said it was unfair for Cr Bourke to have to continually fight for his area as its sole representative on council.
"It has bewildered me the further we have gone as a merged council that one person from the entire northern area has to sit up there and almost plead and beg to get anything for Urana," he said.
"If there was no ex Urana Shire person on this merged council and I don't think it would be anywhere near as successful as it has been."
Cr David Longley said the project was a "game-changer" for Urana, but Cr Paul Miegel said he was somewhat affronted by comments made by Cr Whitechurch.
"I think we have been far more equitable than he has indicated," Cr Miegel said.
The now defunct Yuluma-Cullivel bus committee is contributing $261,000 towards the project after being wound up in 2015.
It is expected council will own the facility, including function room for up to 100 people, with day-to-day operations yet to be fully determined.
More than $60,000 has been spent to date.