Aligned Leisure is to continue managing Albury-Wodonga's pools for the next five years despite three Albury councillors opposing its involvement with one saying the Richmond Football Club subsidiary had "overpromised and underdelivered" since 2018.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The council voted 6-3 on Monday March 25 to accept a $6.31 million tender from the company to oversee the Albury and Lavington pools.
It follows Wodonga Council agreeing to a $4.83 million tender from Aligned Leisure at its meeting on March 18.
Both councils have a joint arrangement with the firm.
Albury councillors Jess Kellahan, Ashley Edwards and Darren Cameron opposed the continuation of Aligned Leisure's management.
"Aligned Leisure, since its appointment in 2018, have overpromised and continue to underdeliver," Cr Kellahan said.
"The overall condition of the Albury and Lavington pools....have been neglected by Aligned Leisure.
"They operate so close to the line in regards to staffing that their service level drops and overall operations are poor.
"In the past six years there have been six different managers, one not lasting their probationary period, resigning of their own volition."
Cr Kellahan, who also spoke of frustration at swimming lessons not being offered this summer, said such a record should not be blessed with another term.
"Awarding this contract to Aligned Leisure is like promoting an underperforming employee and rewarding mediocrity," she said.
Cr Kellahan and Cr Edwards argued pool management should be done directly by the council and Cr Cameron said he could only support outsourcing where there was a demonstrable need and he could not say Aligned Leisure had been a success.
Cr Edwards said pools management should not be about profit and pointed to Wangaratta, Wagga, Shepparton and Dubbo having municipal-managed aquatic centres.
"Council-run pools offer better staff retention, better wages and conditions, career paths," Cr Edwards said.
However, councillor Stuart Baker, a self-described vocal critic of Aligned Leisure's management takeover, lauded the Melbourne-based company's performance.
"It has improved out of sight in the last 12 months and they are currently doing a very good job," the veteran water polo player said.
"I think it does sometimes take a fair bit of time to embed a system into the community, but at the moment they are doing especially well and with this new contract with more and better KPIs I expect we will continue to have a good result from Aligned Leisure."
Councillor Daryl Betteridge raised concerns about the company meeting targets and how they would be monitored.
The council's service leader business and lifestyle Ambrose Glass said there would be an "agreed scorecard" with Aligned Leisure and there was a greater number of KPIs than operated previously.
Councillor David Thurley said it was apparent other councils had more stringent KPIs and that observation had been incorporated in the new contract.
Aligned Leisure and Belgravia Leisure, which manages pools in Indigo, Alpine and Towong shires, were the only bidders for the pool contract which becomes operative from July 1, 2024.
